


Zombieland

by OoOMagnoliaOoO



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Based loosely on the movie Zombieland, Bring tissues, Dorky Naruto Uzumaki, Drama, Explicit Language, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Multi, Mystery, No Sex, No Smut, OCD Sakura [Sort of], Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, POV First Person, Rules, Sarcastic Sakura, Sasuke's an ass, Teenage Drama, There might be tears, Tragedy, Trying to survive, Zombie Apocalypse, but that's nothing new
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-10
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-02 06:37:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 18
Words: 49,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10211768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OoOMagnoliaOoO/pseuds/OoOMagnoliaOoO
Summary: In Zombieland, only one thing matters - survival. But what happens when Sakura grows overly attached to a group of survivors and throws all of her neatly stacked rules, straight out the window? And more importantly, how will her doing so affect her chance of survival - and others around her?Originally posted on Fanfiction.net under the pen name FoamBanana





	1. Population 1?

Oh America, how you’ve changed. The land that used to be the greatest of all is now overflowing with undead, walking corpses with some serious munchies.

Ever since patient zero went to the zoo and got bit by a raging monkey, everything has been pretty much downhill.

Everything had been so different since I left Atlanta. Now I was possibly the only one left in this fucked up, masochistic world that it had become. Let me begin by saying that there are two sides to every story, so instead of just telling you from the rest of the world’s view, let me tell you my story. The better one. The real one.

See that girl down there? Yup, that’s me. Just trying to find myself some medical supplies before the zombies decide that nap time’s over. So far I’ve been to fifteen cities trying to find myself some other survivors, or at the very least something that isn’t destroyed by the walkers. So far I’ve failed on both counts.

Last time I saw a human being was when my mother, stepfather and sister went missing… well sort of. That was six months ago when I was on my way to Juvenile hall for some… well, let’s just say difficulties. You see, my mom and dad were no longer married, so I decided to stay with my mother and her new husband Clint.

Clint was what you would call a… how do I put this delicately? He was a drunk with a serious anger management problem. At first he was the perfect dad, taking us on fishing trips and to the cinema. He was a great dad. Until his son died in Iraq five years ago. That’s when things really started going downhill for my family. After the first time that he hit mom, I started losing trust in people. All except for my mother and my sister that was.

I might seem like an unlikely survivor with all of my phobias and behavioral issues, but the truth is that I had an advantage. I had the advantage of never really fitting into this world and I treated people like they were zombies even before they were. Without friends or a family to weigh you down, the possibility of surviving was high.

That brings me to rule #1 of surviving the United States of Zombieland. Don’t trust anyone. When the virus first struck, people trusted and relied on each other to get out of the mess alive. But what they didn’t realized was that one little lie could ruin everyone’s life. Take this girl from my block for example. She was bit, didn’t tell the others and ended up chewing on people's faces before they could ask themselves what the fuck was going on. Pretty dramatic if you ask me, then again… she already was a drama queen. I guess things never really change after all.

I had always been alone and now that I was literally the only one here, I realized how much I missed seeing people that didn’t have intestines stuck in their teeth and missing body parts.

“Fucking finally. Some bandages. I’ve been looking all over for you. Do you happen to have some friends names antibiotics around here or are you a loner like me?” Okay, you might think that I’ve gone crazy talking to some medical supplies, but believe me when I tell you that when you’ve been as far away from human company as I have… you have no other choice but to talk to something before you go nuts.

Looking for antibiotics in a regular store was pretty much out there on the crazy scale, but people got nutty when the virus struck. They ept everything close. Even stuff like antibiotics.

Since the walkers didn’t speak, only occasionally gurgled, they would be of no use at all during a little chit-chat, but neither would bandages, I suppose.At least they were safer. Not like zombies. All the did was mumble and awkwardly shuffle around like a bunch of retarded psycho killers, grappling at you the moment you made a sound. Being alone really sucked, but being the only survivor in a world full of zombies was even worse.

“Damn it dude! Why couldn’t we just have kept on driving?” Was that… another person? I hid behind the counter. Hiding behind a counter might seem a little cliché, but you do anything to survive Zombieland. Even stay as far away as possible from human company. I know, I know… I said I was looking for survivors, but just jumping out in front of them might not be such a good idea. Like a good old bank vault you’re trying to break into, you need to gather as much information as possible before you try anything.

“Well, let me put it this way, so that you can understand. Car needs gas, and gas doesn’t exactly grow on trees. We’re all tapped out. Unless we find a pond of the stuff somewhere nearby, we’re pretty much stuck with walking.” A tall man with a mask spoke. He was smart. In case the virus was airborne, he was protected.

“Man! I really don’t wanna keep on walking. My feet hurt! And I’m thirsty, hungry _and_ tired! Why can’t we stop for just one minute?” Oh great… there’s nothing worse than a whining little bitch in times like these and I’ve successfully managed to found a live one. He sat down on a rock two feet away from the window, which was pretty close to my hiding spot. The smashed out windows provided me with perfect vision.

One part of me wished that I had telepathic powers, making it possible for me to tell them off. Yet one part of me wanted them to stay. Call me scared or just damn right stupid, but to be honest, another human being so close… what can I say? I was curious. I started moving around and looking for things in the drawers, but was all out of luck. Someone must have gotten their hands on everything before I did. Luckily though, I remained hidden and extremely silent.

“Okay look, I don’t like it either, but if you’re going to keep making that much noise you might as well put a “open for bookings” sign on your forehead.” The younger one didn’t understand, staring at the man strangely. “You know… open for bookings… like a restaurant… because you’re the dinner. God, it’s like you’ve lived the last six months in a box.” The older man’s voice was so calm and the younger boy kind of made me curious, but at the same time what can I do? My options were to run up to them and risk being killed or rely on the walkers. In these times, I would take my chance with the undead anytime over the living. Then I heard something that I would never forget, or rather someone.

“Stop bitching, baka. We’ll make a camp at sunset. Until then, you’re just going to have to get your tired ass up and keep on moving. We’re not going to get to Shadow Island if we keep stopping all the time.” I caught a glimpse of him and let me tell you, he was a regular A-grade hottie right there. I know you’re not supposed to get attracted to the other survivors, but there was something about the new man. He was unlike anyone that I had ever seen before.

With his long legs it looked like he stood on top of the world. Great thighs and biceps revealed that he was strong and reliable. A face that could make an angel weep and hair as black as a raven’s. He was practically a male version of Snow White.

“Fine, Teme! I will keep moving, but you have to keep watch tonight!” I don’t know what happened to me, but at some point when they started walking, reality hit me. What if we were the only people left? What were the chances of meeting someone out here? And not only on, but five.

So stalking them throughout the city wasn’t one of my proudest moments, but desperate times calls for desperate measures. I don’t know if they knew that I was following them, but one group member was very paranoid and kept turning around like he was being chased by something. They suddenly came to a halt.

“We can stop down there for the night. It’s safe and shielded. Dobe, you’re on trap duty. Everybody else has their assignments.” The way everyone agreed quickly made me realize that they all had something in common. Before all of this, they must have been soldiers. Fast and efficient, great posture, silent when they walked and talked… well… for the most part that is.

They would be the perfect company.

Since I was alone I never had the luxury of someone else watching over me as I slept. I would sleep only when I had found a safe place. In Savannah, things weren’t exactly in top condition to do so. People have always been attracted to cities. Walkers aren’t that much different.

While they were setting up their camp, I took the liberty to take a stroll around the grounds to make sure that no z-fuckers were nearby. As I strolled I saw something else that really caught my attention. Boy did these guys have some serious behavioral issues. The blond one had ADHD, the pale guy was socially awkward and had a hard time reading people, walking around with his nose in a social studies book, the brunet was downright creepy and the old man had a porn addiction. Then there was _him._ My professional, _cough cough, not really,_ opinion… definitely anger management issues.

Not as bad as Clint’s, but still… not far from it seemed.

Overall they all had some problem that caused them to stand on the outsides of life, alone and not part of the bigger groups. Maybe they never realized it, but it probably contributed greatly to their survival. Then again… I really wondered how they all managed to stay alive with the blond numbnuts in toe.

“Ey dude! I really can’t-”

“Shut up! Do you want the walkers to flood this place?” The blond pulled out some rope from his bag.

“How you survived is completely beyond me.” The blond chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

I started thinking about what kinds of people they were before the outbreak and were able to find a few markers. Nothing major though. I sighed.

So where had I been before all of this, you ask? Me… I had been the disgrace of the school, the emo that never talked to anyone except for a creepy janitor. I had always been smarter than anyone else, but sadly in high school, that didn’t matter to anyone else but the teachers. Nothing but popularity mattered to those bitches I used to call classmates.

This one times, the students had laughed at me so hard that I fled the school and vowed to never return to that dreadful place. Sadly, mum convinced me to keep on studying. I id return on my own eventually, but I was never really the same happy girl I had been before.

“Do you need me to do anything, or am I finished for the day?” Oh my God how the stare of the brown haired man sent chills down my spine. Even though he wasn’t looking into my eyes, I could feel the intensity of his glare.

I hoped that I would never again meet someone so creepy. I could see the others also getting nervous around him.

“No, I think we’re fine. The camp is already up and I’ll take the night shift. You can go to sleep.” As the sun started to set, all of them decided it was finally time to hit the hay. The blond finally returned from his venture into the woods. The light summer breeze made it through my hair and gave me a feeling of peace. I hadn’t felt this relaxed since sometime before the outbreak.

If there was one thing that I really enjoyed, it was seeing the sun set upon the horizon and watch as the rays of the sun leave for the time being. I always loved seeing the stars, but growing up in the city it was almost impossible to spot any through all of the smog. People say that in a big city there are few stars… they were right. So many people, and now they’re all gone.

To be honest, I never really knew how far the virus had spread. It could have gone airborne all the way across the Atlantic, infecting every living being on the planet. Either that or it could have been contained to the U.S. Maybe it could have reached Canada or maybe even Mexico. I was more curious than ever to find out the truth, but all the ways of communication were a bust.

Like a computer virus making its way through the heart of the software, this virus might have struck the entire world. I was feeling lonelier by the second, just thinking about all of this, despite there being human beings not a few hundred feet away from me. Luckily, they hadn’t spotted me yet. Neither had any walkers.

It seemed unusually quiet this particular night. Not that I was complaining.

Since it was too dangerous for me to sleep on ground level, I kept to the treetops. In the process, I made the most useful discovery as of yet. Walkers were terrible climbers. The moment they tried to hoist themselves up, their arms broke off. The rotten flesh parted, revealing bone. They were so fragile that one single blow would break everything in their sorry little bodies. If you can even call what the walker’s brain carried around for bodies.   

I climbed the tree and sat down, making sure that I was comfortable before tying myself to it with a rope. The last thing i needed was to fall to my death in my sleep, or even worse, injure myself to such a degree that moving became impossible. Then it would be goodbye life and hello munchies.

I had never been much of an eater though. In fact people could call me anorexic, God knows many had. I pulled out an energy bar that I had been saving since my last raiding of a walmart. I had grabbed everything that I could carry within the course of thirty seconds. I could still remember the sound of the alarm going off, remembering the fear of the walkers approaching.

Since I was always the cautious type, I had made sure that my little station was out of range of their guns, but also made sure that they were close enough for me to see the group clearly. The raven sat down in front of the two tents on a log that they all had helped pull out from the opposite side of where I was. Luckily for me, they had no clue that someone was watching them… and why would they? Walkers didn’t climb. I was cautious though and made sure that I was sitting in a way that they could not spot me from their camp.

But I could see them clearly. I set my eyes upon the raven again and noticed that the only weapon he had was a katana on his back, a weapon so sharp and fast that it would make any living person on the other side of it weep in fear.

Crying on the other hand was something that I _had_ done so many days of my life that I couldn’t even count the times on my fingers anymore. But I did know that those days were over now. No more weeping over something as meaningless as a beating from a so called father. The only situation that it was okay to cry was if you knew that you were about to die. I could only imagine how many people had wept over their inevitable doom.

I was all alone now and the only way to get any sort of comfort would be to find a cure. Or at least make sure to find some place that was safe. Everyone had fled to refugee centers or other such facilities in their quest for survival. Sadly, none of those stood today.

The last broadcast I heard urged people to search for shelter on Shadow Island.

It was a complete bluff… I was sure of it. No centers were open, no people alive. Just a bunch of dead people walking. That was all that remained. Dead people. The ones they put down and the ones that they didn’t.

The only calm city that I had been to so far was Saint Cloud, Minnesota. Man, even when the people of Minnesota were dead, they were polite.

I had roamed around the entire Goddamn U.S for the past six months in search of some answers, but ultimately failed to find any. The only thing I could find were bogus directions on where to head for a so called “safe haven”. Like the center in Atlanta for survivors. I had been there looking for clues of where mankind had gone, but I guess that I already knew the answer. They were roaming the streets with eternal “life”. If you could even call it a life.

All over the states I had founds signs telling me to get the hell off the streets and into a new refugee center somewhere else, but when I got there, they stood empty of people, but full of walkers. It was always the same song stuck on repeat. Had I not known better, I would have probably that they had dropped a zombie-a-bomb in those shelters. Though, I did know better. People were scared, hiding their bites and feigning innocence when they were ultimately found out. Either that or they killed themselves in fear of the unknown, with or without having been bitten. Something that I had found out was the fact that if the bite didn’t kill you, the fever would. But that didn’t matter. No matter how you died, you came back. There was no point in trying to find one of those centers anymore.

Eventually, I stopped looking and settled for the one thing I knew how to do.

I skipped from town to town, trying to survive out here.

I sighed, coming to terms with the life that was now. There would never be a cure. No one seemed to even look for it anymore. I wasn’t even sure if there were people smart enough, still alive to this day, to synthesise such a serum. Sure didn’t seem like it, and the group below wasn’t about to win any Nobel prizes for science anytime soon.

The moon shone on my face, illuminating the dark, quiet land, making me miss the good old days when people were alive and happy.Though I knew that none of that would ever come again, there were times when I wish that everything wasn’t so fucked up. I wish whoever became patient zero hadn’t gone to the zoo that day.

When I first heard about the unknown disease on the TV, I couldn’t even imagine what shitstorm was brewing. It wasn’t until the police came to take me away to Juvie, and the roads were blocked by crazy screaming folks, running from the dead, that I realized what was happening.

I hoped against hope, to go back to a time before all of this.   

“Who am I kidding? That will never happen.” I was sincerely hoping that someone was able to fix this mess, and soon. For now, I would just have to keep my cool and get some sleep.

As soon as I closed my eyes, I could feel myself drifting into a peaceful slumber, unknowing of what was to come.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

I awoke to the sound of footsteps, approaching slowly, but clumsily. If it wasn’t a walker, then my money was on the noisy blond. I was happy to see that the idiot blondie wasn’t behind the source of the noise, but quickly got worried when I saw a walker stuck in a trap. I was so anxious to get into the tree that I had failed to see the obvious snare trap so close to me. It must have been the blond who made it while I was daydreaming, to oblivious to my surroundings. But that couldn’t have been it, right? I would have noticed. Right?

I hadn’t even checked to see if they were still there, but was relieved when I spotted their tents still on the hill and the raven sounds asleep on the log. Then I got even more worried. What if he was dead? I had to find out.

I untied myself and jumped down with my bag in hand. Instead of going to the right over a creek towards them, I chose to make a left first and deal with the walker in the trap. I slowly grabbed my tire iron and approached the zombie.

“Geez… you’re not gonna win any beauty pageants anytime soon. You’re one ugly motherfucker. Flesh was sticking out of its teeth and an arm was missing. To think that this thing was a human once was close to impossible. “Sorry, buddy, but you’ve gots to go.”

He started growling loudly, almost as if he knew what was about to happen. I swung my weapon as hard as I could, hitting him in the temple. Apparently, my swing was so forceful that the entire skull shattered on impact. I felt my stomach growling, at a very inappropriate moment I might add, and remembered that the only thing I had eaten today was the energy bar a few hours prior.

As I climbed the tree again, I remembered something else. All I had left to eat was three remaining energy bars, two apples, two bottles of water and a few breadsticks. I would have to find some food, and fast, or otherwise I too would be as dead as the fucker below.

I grabbed another energy bar, grimacing in disgust at the taste. Cocoanut wasn’t a huge hit with me, but in these times you would have to put all of your likes and dislikes aside for the sake of survival.

I couldn’t recall the last time I’d eaten something that I actually enjoyed. It had been more than six months ago though, that was for sure. I was hopeless in that way. A picky eater.

I looked up at the stars and spotted Delphinus, or the Dolphin. As a child, my favorite animal had been dolphins. Even though I hated swimming in the ocean, I had always found them extraordinary. They were beautiful, wonderful and mesmerizing creatures.

I was pulled away from my daydreaming by a snore, signaling that the people down there were sleeping peacefully. I had completely forgotten that I was about to go and check on them when I had climbed down from the tree.

“Well…” I said with a deep sigh. “Better get this over with.” I took my belongings and once again got down from the oak, careful where I put my feet, and slowly made my way over to their camp. Before I could get that far, I would have to make my way over the river without startling any of them, or stirring up any herds for that matter.

I put my feet down in the freezing water and started treading over to the other side. I was actually going to do what I had been wanting to do all day. I was going to walk up to them… and then what? What was I going to do once I was there? What was I going to say? I had no clue, but as sure as the sun rises on the horizon, I had to do this.

I had almost reached the riverbank when I felt my foot getting caught on something in the water, and I feel face first into a rock. Luckily, I didn’t break my nose, nor did it render me unconscious. I had been lucky. A harder strike and I would have been dead even if the impact hadn't killed me. Sooner or later, I would have drowned, or God forbid, walker chow.

“Ouch, motherfucker!” I shrieked as quietly as I could, trying not to alert someone to my whereabouts. I rubbed my sore nose and tried to force the pain away, just like I had done so many times before.

Being the lonely kid wasn’t really as fun as it sounds, especially when you have to endure a lot of beatings during the school years. It was all because of the stupid chick Kara. We had been friends once, up until we were thirteen. I got the part in the school play that she so desperately wanted. We were never able to mend our broken bond after that and she managed to urge her friends into beating me senseless quite frequently.

I took a deep breath, assessing the damages. No blood, no broken nose, and hopefully no bruising in the morning. To make sure, I blew my nose, sighing in relief when there was no blood there. I splashed some water on my face and stood up, but as I was turning around I felt the cold metal of a blade against my throat. I looked up to find him there, more beautiful than anything else in the world. Thought my admiration didn’t stay for too long when I realized his face showed a murderous glare.

“Choose your next move very carefully, _girl._ ”

Great… how the hell do I get out of this mess?


	2. No strings attached

How do you know when you’re going to die?

Some say that it’s the smell of fear. Others that it’s a feeling in your gut. But some claim that you know when your eyes are clear enough to see it.

I say that you can never be sure until you take your last dying breath. This day, however, I thought I was going to have my life end like a Thanksgiving turkey. Sliced into pieces by a sharp metal object.

Yes, a sword was being held to my throat and I thought that I was going to die. Fortunately I got words out of my mouth… now if I could just stop being such a sarcastic, wisecracking ass, I might just get out of this alive. Sadly, that’s just who I was.

“Dude, please put that down. That’s, like, a deadly weapon. You could seriously hurt somebody.” Even though I was completely calm on the outside, I was sure that he could still hear the fear in my voice as the words fell off my lips.

He seemed surprised at my crassness and my completely inappropriate response, seeing as how I was the one in deep shit. I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised thought. People were always taken aback whenever I spoke. Then again, why would I need to? I didn’t have any friends.

That brings me to rule numero dos of Zombieland.

No strings attached.

When people make the ultimate sacrifice for other people in the movies, they never tell you just _how bad_ it feels to cut the strings you’ve connected to another person. When you eventually lose them, you’re devastated, something you can’t afford to be in the world we live in now.

That why I always made sure to stick with myself and no one else.

The raven lowered his katana, sheathing it. “Huh. So you’re the one that’s been following us.” This guy, nay, this man was one of a kind. He was so breathtaking it made my mouth go dry, and the only thing I could respond with was a quick nod. Why the hell was I like this all of a sudden? I was fine just a moment ago.

He raised an eyebrow at me. “You’ve been following us since this morning if I had to guess. I could feel your eyes in the back of my neck the entire time.” Sometimes that ability scared me. When people realized that you were staring at them. Almost as if though they had a third eye, glaring right back at you.

He turned his heel, walking back towards the camp. I tried following, but cursed when I remembered what sort of situation I was in.

“Hey!” I began shouting after him. “I’m stuck here! A little help would be fucking sweet!” He didn’t even look back… he just kept walking. “Are you just going to leave me here?” The raven didn’t reply. “If you leave me here, I’m going to scream at the top of my lungs.”

The man stopped dead in his tracks, took two steps back and looked me straight in my emerald green eyes with his black ones.

“Look, Pinky.” I gaped at him. “I don’t know who you are, and frankly, I don’t trust you enough to find out. We’re in the mountains. There are few walkers around here and if they are close enough to hear you scream, you wouldn’t dare to make yourself noticed by one of them, because let’s face it… you’re stuck. Which means that you won’t be able to get out once they do get here. And now that you told me exactly what you’re planning to do, it’s not like I won’t run back to my camp and warn the others. Just get it already… if you scream, you’ll only kill yourself.” He turned once again and made his way back towards the camp. A plan started forming in my mind, one that could possibly force him to help me.

“I saw a walker just a few feet away from here in one of your traps. I’m guessing that your friend wasn’t trying to snare walkers for lunch now, did he?” The raven stopped. I had obviously caught his attention. “I’m an exceptional hunter… I could help you catch some game.” He didn’t seem impressed anymore, and started to walked away.

I tried with all my might to pull myself out of the root that I had gotten stuck in. Sadly, I was in further than I realized.

I was all alone again. There were no walkers, no sounds and no _him,_ and quite frankly… I don’t know what scared me more. Being alone, or being around the raven haired man that would leave a poor, innocent, defenseless girl all alone out here in the woods to die.

The only one that I had for company was the stars and the moon. It was crazy really… when I was a kid, I used to call them “ghost tears”. The millions of stars upon the sky were tears that lonely souls had wept.

But the time for crying was over and fortunately my time in the river came to an end as well. I don’t know how I had summoned such strength, but when my foot came out of the water, so did the entire root.

I would never get tired of the feeling of freedom, that was for sure. Free as a bird, as my mother liked to say. The only thing she’d gotten was an abusive husband with a drinking problem. Though I knew that I shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, or so she’d taught me.

But I realized that I didn’t even know if they were dead. I knew that Clint must have made it. The man was a cockroach, surviving in tough conditions with little food, little heat and little shelter. And the man was already a brainless megalomaniac before, so I’m sure that he could survive weeks without food.

When everyone else had been alive, the sick son of a bitch wouldn’t even clean up so much as a beer can after himself. He blamed his drinking problem on us, because he was too blind to see that _he_ was the cause of every problem he ever had. He hadn’t done anything useful since his son’s death, so it wouldn’t be a far stretch to believe that maybe, hopefully, he was rotting with the rest of these corpses.

The only people that I actually cared for were my mother and sister. They were the reason that I ever felt loved in this world. What about my father?; You might ask. Well, when my mom and dad got a divorce, I quickly found out that he never really wanted kids. But once Anna was born, he stuck with us, for the sake of keeping up appearances.

But when I had been brought into this world, he’d had enough. He always used to say that he got tricked into having kids. Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad and he loves me, but he was never really there for me. Not like Anna and mother. And if he ever was there, it was to might with my mother or to ask Anna and me to come live with him.

Dad wasn’t blind to what was going on in our house. He knew exactly was Clint was doing to mom. Even though the bastard tried acting sober around people, it was obvious that he was shitfaced. It got so bad that he could barely stay sober for more than a few hours.

If he did however, by some minor miracle, manage to stay sober for more than six hours, he would demand a standing ovation and then reward himself with some more booze. My stepdad was crazy when it came to things like that. Never took anyone else into consideration. Many might say that he would be an ideal person for surviving an apocalypse, but there was so much more to this than being independent that was required.

Like having a heart for example.

Not that the raven haired son of a bitch had one, and he seems to have survived just fine without it.

As I pulled myself out of the mud, I took time to look at the now completely ruined shoe of mine. It wasn’t only soaked through, but also torn in some places. I quickly had yet another problem. If I didn’t find another pair sometime soon, I would be forced to walk around with totally unreliable footwear.

I sighed when I heard the raven mutter to himself. He was on his way back to the camp, or if I was lucky, he was heading towards me. I became extremely happy when I realized that it was the latter. If I had been one for it, I would have jumped with glee. Luckily, I wasn’t, so I just stood back and observed.

“Alright, Pinky. I still don’t trust you, but my group’s food reserves are running low and you look like you’ve been managing fine on your own when it comes to nutrition.” He poked at my, what I perceived to be a perfectly flat stomach, with a bow. “Since the trap you mentioned isn’t going to give us anything edible, you might as well prove your usefulness. So grace me with your hunting expertise.”

And there’s the catch. I actually had no such expertise. True, walker hunting was a regular habit of mine to stay sane and happy, but to actually hurt and kill an innocent animal was something that I had never had to do. And not to mention the skinning part that always made me gag whenever I thought about it. Besides, walkers were dumb and slow, and while animals weren’t exactly that much brighter, at least they had speed.

“First of all dude, it’s not Pinky. It’s Sakura. Sa-ku-ra. Secondly, I’m not planning on shooting anything with a fucking bow and arrow. What is this, the dark ages?” In truth, I didn’t know how to use one. Not that I wanted him to know that.

He stood around, crossing his arms and cocking his hips.

“Well, a bow and arrow is all that we can spare at the moment. Besides, shooting a gun would be too loud. I don’t want more dead walking around than there already is. You do know how to use one, right?”

_No._

“Of course I do.”

He didn’t look impressed, and stood his ground in front of me, waiting for the moment when I inevitably broke down in confession. That’s the problem… I’m too damn stubborn for my own good.

And then there was problem number two.

I had to find something to shoot or my ass would be over the fire as dinner for tonight.

A hunter had to know how to track, and if I wanted to sell this lie as truth, I had to know how to track down animals. I’m not proud of it, but I had to go all “one with the universe” up in this bitch.

 _“Think, Sakura. What are animals attracted to?”_ To think that such a simple question had so many answers really boggled my mind. I couldn’t put out food and expect some animal to just show up and walk straight into my trap. No, I had to bring myself to where they were. To find them when they were at their weakest and deliver a fatal blow.

I listened to the sounds of nature. It was relaxing, but at the same time aggravating. The wind wailing in my ears, the sounds of the trees bowing to the mighty breeze and the water pouring down the mountain stream.

_Stream._

“Water!” He put a hand over my lips quickly.  

“The fuck!” He hissed in a low tone. “Do you want every fucking zombie around to hear you? Scream a little louder, won’t you? I don’t think that the ones in _China_ heard you!” He let go of me, thrust the bow in my hands coupled with some arrows and stood back.

I started walking along the stream, desperately wanting to make some small talk with the man, but being unable to start somewhere. Everything just felt like word vomit was going to spew out of me any second… or perhaps it was just literal vomit.

I looked down at the bow quickly as we were strolling along the river. “It’s a nice bow. Who’s is it?” He kept staring straight ahead, his stoic face being void of any sort of emotion.

“We grabbed it from an abandoned house a couple of days back in the suburbs.” He didn’t say much after that. Just kept quiet and walked next to me in search of prey. I secretly wondered if he was lying and if he had in fact stolen in instead.

Maybe it had belonged to somebody that missed it.

Then again, if they’d been dead it didn’t really matter. The dead didn’t have feelings. They didn’t hate, they didn’t love and they most definitely didn’t miss their shit when they were gone from this world.

“Pick up the pace. I don’t like leaving the idiot on watch for too long on his own. Lord knows what he might have fucked up while I’m gone.” I looked around, spotting something in the sand, ehm… let’s just say, “going at it”.

It looked strange. Then again, I wouldn’t really know how it was supposed to look. The only thing I knew about sex was what we’d been taught in Sex Ed class. More specifically, that you shouldn’t have it. I had no personal experience either.

I walked as quietly as I could. They were furiously humping at each other, making me sigh in relief. Not for any weird reason, just the fact that they were both alive. Only thing worse than dying by a walker bite is eating a decaying animal corpse that had already been chomped on by a zombie.

“Well go ahead, Princess. It’s not like we’ve got all night.” He whispered into my ear, sending shivers through my entire body. It was strange just how much it turned me on. But I had other shit to deal with right now.

“If I do this, will you let me join your group?” I asked as carefully as I could, afraid that he might shoot me down.

“Yeah. You’re in… _if_ you can secure us some food.”

I put the arrow to the string, like I had seen in movies, took a deep breath and fired. It hit the male bunny, right in the eye. It fell, sending its partner into shock. The female rabbit fled the scene as if though it was a scene of a murder. And technically it was.

I turned to see the man behind me stare back with a mild shock present on his features. He had doubted me all along. But that just made me understand another important thing. Since I had in fact hit my target, it wouldn’t be long until the next time the group asked me to do such a thing again. To hunt for them whenever they were hungry.

I hadn’t even thought of that before, but it seemed like this little white lie had gotten the fuck out of hand, really fucking fast. This man made me irrational. My chances of survival would decrease if I kept on acting this way.

But my stubbornness, and piss poor attitude, was always something that I could rely on to make it through the day. It was always save me, no matter what.

_Even if it has landed me in trouble many times before._

“Well there you have the food. Go snatch it up before a walker does.” He obviously wasn’t happy about being told what to do, but complied. The raven carefully treaded over towards the animal. He quickly handed it over once he was back next to me.

We had been lucky, or at least _I_ had been. With the look on his face, it seemed as if though I had gotten away with this total lie. I threw a quick glance at the forest, watching the speeding bunny stop for a moment, stand on her hind legs and look back at me with sad eyes.

When I was in school, my teacher made up a game. Describe a person with one word.

The only thing I could think of when I saw the racing bunny was “free”.

Not seconds before, I had shot her mate… and now she was running for her life, afraid of what would happen next if she stayed. It felt terrible to do so, but I tried convincing myself that I had simply followed the laws of nature. “Eat or be eaten” and I sure as hell wasn’t going to become somebody else’s lunch. In killing the bunny, I had secured my way into the group.

“You’re a pretty decent shot. Long time hunter?” His words pulled me from my thoughts. Either I had to tell him another lie, or I would have to admit the truth. But like I’ve stated time and time again… stubbornness has kept me alive far longer than the truth.

“Not really, I guess.” I stopped myself. “I mean… yeah. My dad taught me when I was six, but I haven’t seem him in years so I haven’t been practicing.” He scoffed in disbelief, but dropped the issue pretty quickly.

We walked back to the camp, nothing but the sound of the river to fill the silence.

“You’re cooking this thing.” People somehow always expected me to know how to cook since I was a woman, but truth be told, I never really learned how to.

I snorted at him. “Yeah, right. I can do that… if you want “burnt-to-a-fine-crisp” sort of bunny. Can’t you do it?”

The man sighed in exasperation. “I guess I damn well have to, Pinky.”

“I already told you, it’s not Pinky, it’s Sakura! Sa-ku-ra.”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time.” We kept on walking, getting closer to their campsite. That’s when it hit me.

“Hey, you never told me your name. I’ve just been referring to you as “the raven” up until now.”

He stopped, turned and looked me dead in the eye. “If you really must know. My name-” My heart was racing, to my great surprise, so loud that I could hear it. “-is Sasuke Uchiha”


	3. Oh father

Happiness. 

The only thing that I could think of was the word happiness. The undeniable bliss, comfort and safety. It was like the sun was shining just for me, or some clicé shit like that. 

After Sasuke had introduced me to the rest of the group, we had all packed up their things and set off on foot towards Shadow Island in search of safety. Although I thought it was foolish, I followed them nevertheless. The only thing that kept me going was hope, stupidity, and maybe… just maybe; a little bit of love. 

Even though it had only been a week since I met him, I was head over heels for the man with the raven hair and those mesmerising obsidian orbs. I was lovestruck by him. His way of talking, of walking, his looks. In short… everything. 

Not to mention those killer abs. 

I had never been a very shallow person, but when you wake up to watching Narcissus washing himself in the river every morning, you are going to get a serious lady boner. He was a God, and I was just a mere mortal basking in his eternal glory. I know that I’m over exaggerating to make a point, but to be honest, I just saw him as something… well… something  _ more  _ than just a survivor. 

Or maybe I was just happy that I had someone to rely on other than myself. 

Not only had I been blessed by a comfortable place to sleep, but I also had the luxury of sleeping next to him every night. Just watching the moonlight hitting his face filled me with an unexplainable sense of joy. His bare chest glittering with sweat and oh my Lord and savior above, that sweet ass… 

Hold on… 

I had to focus.

Out here you could never lose focus, or you might as well sign your own death warrant. Plus, when had I become this little lovestruck teenager with an unruly libido. All of a sudden I had gone from a sarcastic little sass-ball into a hormonal girl with the hots for an older dude. 

If only he would see me. 

But all he could see what was behind his eyelids in his dreams. 

The rabbit I had shot had made a great stew, basically saving everybody from the brink of death. Later, Sasuke revealed, albeit begrudgingly, that they hadn’t really eaten anything as nutritious for weeks and that I had probably saved everybody’s life. 

Hey, I wasn’t the only sass-ball with a serious attitudo problemo out there. Sometimes, days passed with him just being this painstaking ass towards me. Hell, I didn’t even bother counting them anymore. It’s not like it mattered in United States of Zombieland. But seasons did matter. 

That’s rule #3 for surviving Zombieland. 

What season? Winter’s approach. 

When you’re raiding a super market, you need to know if winter or summer is just around the bend. You need to know just what types of food, clothes and shelter you might need a little ways down the road.   

It’s not like you can survive a brutal snowstorm in a white tank-top, short shorts and a pair of flip-flops while singing “over the fucking rainbow” with a sangria in each hand. No… you needed to be smart. 

I never packed anything that could slow me down. Never grab what you don’t need unless you have a safe place to unload it all. Especially not now when we were starting our long journey. 

Since Shadow Island was somewhere near Savannah, I knew that we needed to follow the coast as far as we could. Back before all of this, it had been called Hilton Head Island. It had been renamed, people relocated, so that the military forces could set their roots there. You never saw them though. They were like shadows stalking you. And when you least expect it… Bam! There they were. It was ironic that I was heading back in the same direction from which I had come just a few weeks earlier. 

Speaking of military, I was seriously starting to wonder if I had been right in my guesses. I had been too scared to ask them about their past, and quite frankly I wasn’t sure I wanted to know whether or not they had been soldiers. The only person’s past I wanted to know about was Sasuke’s. I wanted to know who he was, what he used to do for a living and what he was like. I wanted to know everything, but fearing that he would just call me annoying and brush me off, I had kept my mouth shut. Thought, that didn’t make the curiosity go away. 

His eyes were shut tight and hands clasped together hard. He was dreaming of something… and it looked painful. Perhaps a memory. It didn’t bode well though. 

Nightmares often make people scream and knowing from my own experiences, I couldn’t risk to put everyone in danger. I gulped. I would have to wake him. What would I tell him? 

_ Hey, I was totally watching you sleep and it looked like a nightmare, so I couldn’t risk you screaming in fear so I just haaaaad to wake you.  _

That just seemed silly. 

“Ey…dude.” I whispered as I tugged his arm. He began to shake slightly and after about twenty seconds, he went eerily still. I stared into his wide open eyes. 

“Why are you staring at me?” I looked into his eyes, falling straight into the trap. 

_ Du-dunk _

_ Du-dunk _

_ Du-dunk _

“Y-You started to stirr. I… ehm… I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. You were making some weird noises.” He glared back angrily, muttered something under his breath, and turned around. Only once his breathing was back to normal did I let myself get tugged back into dreamland. 

As the morning sun rose on the horizon, I quickly awoke. I sat up so fast that my head began to spin and my stomach started growling in protest. I hadn’t eaten in two days and it was finally coming back to bite me in the ass. The leftover food that I had saved had been given to the rest of the group as a peace offering.

Beside me someone was sighing in annoyance. “What is it now, Princess?” I turned my head to find him sitting up next to me, shirt having been removed sometime during his sleep. I started blushing. “Someone’s not shy about staring I see.” 

I quickly looked away. 

“Well… I… uhm… just wondering what a guy like you had to do to get those bad boys.” I pointed to his stomach. “What, did you strike a deal with the devil or something?” 

“Not the devil… just the army. With a strict six hour training program and even stricter diet.” 

_ I knew it! _

I had been right in my guesses. He had been in the army. There was just something about him that screamed army.

“Speaking of diet. You trying to win America’s Next Top Model or some shit like that?” I cocked an eyebrow. “You haven’t eaten for at least two days. You’re no good to any of us dead… or God forbid, as a walker.” He started dressing, throwing me a bag full of trail mix. 

“Thanks.” Sasuke didn’t answer, instead focusing on dressing. He threw me a water bottle from his pack, which I caught without difficulty. That’s something else that I noticed. The way Sasuke never handed people stuff. He just threw it at them. It infuriated me somewhat, but I dropped it and focused on finishing my so called “breakfast”. 

I had uncapped the bottle and drank it all in one big gulp, looking at it apologetically. I had completely forgotten to ask if it was cool for me to drink it all. It was too late now though. It was empty. 

“It’s fine.” He spoke as if though he had read my mind. “We have water in an abundance.” I looked at the bottom, noticing the small specks of dirt from the river making me gag. They hadn’t even bothered sterilizing it.  

“Still hungry, Pinky?” Despite his piss poor way of saying it, I had grown pretty fond of my new nickname. The only other one I had gotten was “Billboard Brow”. According to most people, I apparently had an abnormally large forehead. My mom used to say that it was because my huge, smart brain needed more space, but not that I look back on it I kind of figured that she was lying to spare my feelings. 

After all I had never been the sharpest tool in the shed. I had been just above average, but in the world that we used to live in, a little above average wasn’t good enough. 

“Nope… I’m good.” I replied. “So what’s our job today?” Funny how before all of this, most people had steady jobs. Nowadays, you had to do a little of everything in order to survive. And ours changed constantly. 

“We’re planning on raiding a nearby super-market. To see what’s left. Your shoulder still hurting?” 

Oh yeah, that’s right. My little “accident”. Since I shot the rabbit, I had to lie and tell them that I pulled a muscle. That way, I could always reply with “It still hurts” whenever they asked me to go hunt. Now, I was wondering if it was such a smart idea. 

“Yeah. It just won’t heal.” He nodded, not really interesting in my shit excuses. “How’s our food stash?” Sasuke didn’t look me in the eye. He shook his head in answer. 

We would soon be all out. 

“Yeah…” I trailed off. “So which supermarket are we going to?” His eyes were gleaming like two onyx gems, burning brighter than a thousand suns. I was so entranced in them that I almost didn’t notice the blond walking straight into our tent, completely unannounced as per usual. A normal person would have apologized and said something in the lines of “Oh, did I interrupt?” or, “Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to just barge in”. Not this complete bucket of bolts though… 

“Hey, you two need to slow down with the intense staring. It’s not like you need to start repopulating the earth just yet… Ouch, fuck!” Sasuke hit him really hard to the arm. Serves him right. Even though I might seem like a tough, typical badass chick, there was no covering the shame on my face. My cheeks were flustered beyond compare. 

“You gotta cut that shit out, dobe. I’m not above making you walker snack.” The blond just laughed at the comment. 

“Yeah right.” He snorted. “As if you would. You know, you keep saying that you’ll kill me one day, but you haven’t so far.” 

“The day’s not over, Naruto.” Sasuke muttered under his breath. The blond, Naruto, stopped laughing and stared at his friend in disbelief. They seemed like childhood friends, the way they were talking to each other, but then again… they acted more like rivals. 

I got my lazy ass out of the sleeping bag and started getting ready for the day, ushering both men out of the tent so that I could dress in peace. 

I settled on a simple white wifebeater now that summer had officially grabbed ahold of us, with some black tights to keep me moderately chilled and yet not too underdressed. I tried battling furiously with my hair, but gave up and tied it in a simple low hanging ponytail instead.

When I exited, the rest of the group was getting ready to start their own morning routine. Sai was sitting down next to a bucket of water, doing God knows what. The guy always seemed a bit off. 

Speaking of off… Yamato was just returning from the forest with a huge ass tree, with Kakashi in tow, ready to chop it up and use it for the campfire later. The one we always cooked our food on. 

I smiled, thanking the lucky stars that I had finally found what seemed like a peaceful life. 

“Hey, Naruto?” He looked over at me with azure blue eyes. “Will you help me take down the tent?” 

“There’s no need. We’re gonna stay here for awhile.” I stared at him with uncertainty. 

“Is it really safe to stay here for so long? What if the walkers infest this place? It’s not even properly guarded.” The rest of the group approached, gathering around us. 

“You’re right to be suspicious, but we’ve surveyed the whole area for walkers and there are none.” Kakashi said. 

“Just because you can’t see them, doesn’t mean that they’re not there. It’s not like peek-a-boo with a toddler. Let’s put it to a vote. I say we go.” I knew that they were rational people, and leaving really was the most rational decision. 

“What about the rest of you?” Sai looked around. He gave me one of his infamous fake smiles. Did I mention that he totally creeped me out? 

“I say we stay” Naruto said. “This is the best place we’ve been in for ages. No walkers for miles and miles.” He sat down in a broken sunchair we’d found two days prior, and leaned back. I turned to Sasuke in hope that he would at least agree with me. 

“Sorry, Pinky. I agree with Naruto.” Damn these people and their optimism. Staying too long in one place was just foolish, and somewhere in the back of their minds they knew it to be true. 

“Kakashi, what do you think?” The white haired man’s eyes widened in fear, staring just across the clearing in the forest. 

“I think we should grab our shit and get the hell out of here before we turn into dinner.” We all spun around spotting the abnormally large herd of walkers shuffling over, not far from here. We all started getting to work on your assignments, grabbing shit high and low. 

Naruto started taking care of the foot and water supply, throwing it into a single bag. Since they were so few he got done before any of us and started helping the rest of us. 

Sasuke and Kakashi started getting to work on stage two. Getting rid of the threat. The sounds of gunshot left a ringing noise in my ears. Even though it might just attract even more walkers, we couldn’t worry about that right now. We had to stay protected long enough to gather everything and to clear a path to run on. Eventually Sasuke ran out of ammo and swung his katana from left to right, hitting a few of the zombies. 

The rest of us ran over to the tents as fast as we possibly could, thanking whatever Gods there was out there that we had gotten the fast retracting models. Naruto and Sai ducked inside, throwing shit outside and stuffing them into bags faster than rats on crack. 

Some supplies made its way into the bags before Sasuke shouted;

“Sakura, watch out!” I barely managed to bypass a running walker, watching as Yamato shot it in the head with an arrow. 

“There’s no time to pack this up. Just leave it! If it’s salvageable, we’ll come back and get it later. Right now we need to get the hell out of here. We’re out of ammo.” I didn’t listen, instead I tried to finish packing. Sasuke ran up to me. “Did you not hear me? We can’t protect you guys any longer! We have to get going.” 

I was so busy tying the tent together that I didn’t even notice his strong arms wrapping around my waist. Before I knew it, I was in the air, flung over his shoulder. I knew he only meant well, but man was he a pain in the ass. 

“Put me down, you moron! We have to get our shit before it’s ruined!” No response. Only panting as he kept on running away from the scene. Luckily, the fast walkers had already been killed and left behind only the dumber, newborn walkers to try and catch up with us. 

Newborns? 

Yeah, the newly made walkers. I should explain. The walkers that were around when this whole shit went down, the so called originals, started to get smarter. They started retaining memories, in a way I suppose you could call it. But they didn’t have the smarts. 

We, however, did. And all of the stamina. 

“Hey!” I screamed trying to catch his attention again. “Hey! Put me down, you big brute!” 

“Not happening, Princess. We need to keep moving.” I gently smacked his back with my open palm. I gaped when I saw a runner approaching rapidly. 

“Yeah, I know. I’m not arguing, but we’ve got a fast one gaining on us!” I yelled and pointed backwards. Sasuke stopped, turned and put me down. The rest also stopped running. Kakashi pulled out his trusty Magnum .44 and fired. The bullet hit the runner in the forehead, shattering its skull into millions of little pieces. 

I stared at Sasuke in disbelief. “What the fuck? I thought you said that we were all out of ammo?” 

“Well, I lied, alright? I’m not the only one. “Hunter” my ass.” My jaw might as well have been hitting the ground as of right now. 

“Damn… made me waste my lucky bullet.” Kakashi muttered. But I wasn’t really paying attention to him right now. 

“I…” I tried forming a sentence, but the world around was just in too much disarray for me to think properly. 

“Ehm, guys?” Naruto called experimentally. “We really don’t have the time for an argument right now. We need to get going, and fast. More dead are heading this way.” While I hated to admit it, Naruto was right. They were approaching fast. We all started running again with no particular destination in mind. 

This is bad… 

I don’t even know how long we had been going for, but eventually my lungs and legs gave out. 

“Wait… wait up.” I panted heavily. “Can we just stop for like two seconds? I really need to catch my breath.” We slowed down, but never actually stopped, instead settling for walking. The afternoon sun baked the neighborhood with its completely brutal heat. After quite some time spent walking, we approached a small town just as the sun was about to set. It was nice to have ended up somewhere at least. 

Naruto moaned. “Come on dude! How long have we been walking? There’s no supermarket around here, let’s just face it!” Sasuke growled at him for what seemed to be the hundredth time in a row. Every time Naruto opened his mouth, all that came out was an endless string of complaints. 

But we couldn’t just follow his plan and give up searching. All of our supplies had been left behind, and we were in dire need of everything ranging from new weapons to food and new tents. 

“To answer your question, yet again, about a few hours. And no, we’re not giving up. There’s gotta be-” Sasuke stood still, rooted to the ground, staring off into the distance. The rest of us came to a halt, praising Jesus that we’d finally stumbled upon what we really needed. 

“It’s a fucking Walmart!” I blurted out. “Thank God and baby Jesus! My prayers have been answered!” Sasuke turned to me, angrier than a hive of bees. 

“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain!” I was taken aback. He certainly didn’t seem like the religious type… not that it mattered right now. I felt myself getting close to tears. 

“I’m really not. I really did pray for us to find a supermarket.” And super certainly was the word for it. Everybody in the group knew what this meant… a big warehouse full of supplies… 

Or a big warehouse full of walkers. 

With nothing left in the way of weapons, we had little to no chance of surviving if it got down to it. Though knowing that the possibility of starvation was greater, we had to take the chance. I tapped Naruto on the shoulder and we all began walking towards the parking lot. 

“Great!” Kakashi exclaimed. “How do we get in without being detected?” Both me and Sasuke put our great minds together, trying to device a plan. I stared up towards the roof, noticing the broken glass on top. 

“Let’s climb up the side of the building to one of the roof windows and get in that way.” Sasuke agreed, but Sai didn’t. 

“Or we just take the loading dock entrance over there.” We all looked to where he was pointing. 

“What if it’s locked?” 

“What if it’s not?” 

“What about the alarm?” 

He sighed. “If you break the glass, the alarm will go off either way. If we take the side entrance and the alarm goes off, we run.” I gave up. Arguing with Sai was the worst thing in the world. But he had known the group longer than I had, and with Sasuke calling me out on my lie earlier, weakened my trustworthiness in their eyes. They went with the pale Asian, heading towards the loading dock, with me close behind watching their flanks. 

There were no walkers nearby. Strange… These places would be the most natural place to seek shelter in. A place with a constant food supply and a variety of other necessities. 

As we reached the door, we found to our great surprise that it was already ajar. No traps were set and nothing protected what was inside. I swallowed hard. 

“I have a bad feeling about this.” I said. The others ignored my comment and pushed forward, despite my warnings. 

The daylight was still shining through the windows, illuminating the inside, though poorly. What we saw, left us baffled. 

Not a single person, or walker, in sight. All of the products were still neatly stacked on the shelves. It was completely untouched. 

Sasuke held his katana in hand, stalking around every corner in search of walkers, but found none. He made his way back to us, speaking in a hushed tone. 

“Alright. Area is secure. Sakura, you come with me. The rest of you, split up and grab what we need. I saw some backpacks on aisle five. We rendezvous here in five minutes. In case you find some walkers, use your melee weapons. Make as little noise as possible.” We all moved out towards aisle five. Everybody grabbed one bag and then split up, going to different sections, me sticking as close to Sasuke as possible.. 

“So what do you need?” I looked up at him once I realized that he had spoken to me. 

“Tampons, aspirin, water, food, paper, clothes and a weapon.” He nodded and lead me down the aisles. I grabbed everything while still moving, stuffing shit quickly into the bag. I was the first one to break the silence. 

“Are you mad at me for lying?” Sasuke didn’t look at me. He grabbed some razors from the shelf and stuffed them into his backpack. 

“Not really… you’re not the only one who lied.” I looked at him. “We weren’t out of ammo. But we had to keep moving.” I nodded in reply. He stopped me with his outstretched palm. “Next time, you listen to what I tell you,  _ when  _ I tell you. Got it?” 

I huffed in annoyance. “Got it. I just really thought that-” 

“Yeah, yeah. I know. You thought that you had time.” We kept on moving. I turned the corner. That’s when I saw them. There were so many… 

“Oh, father.” 


	4. The starry night has a secret

Do you know how your life is going to turn out? Can you plan it bit by bit, or is everything shrouded in a cloak of uncertainty? Do you know what the color of your best friend’s shirt will be tomorrow? Can you plan a meeting and say to a hundred percents certainty that it will actually roll in your favor? 

Simple answer; No. 

No one can. No one can tell and no one can say for certain what outcome your actions will have. We all get mad at the weatherman for screaming “Sunshine” and then it’s rain the next day. But that’s the thing with everything in life. It’s unpredictable. 

Take me for example. I never knew that I would meet Sasuke and his group, and yet here I was; in the middle of a supermarket looking at a shelf that made my stomach turn. Almost as if the universe was sending us a sign. To get the fuck out of there before all hell broke loose. I looked straight into a walker’s dead eyes and what was scared me more was the fact that it was looking back. The shelves were littered with detached walker heads. The sight made me want to puke. 

“The fuck you doing here?” I turned my head slightly to the left and saw five silhouettes. As much as I wanted to run, I realized that they were holding us at gunpoint. “I’m not gonna ask you this again. The fuck you doing here?” 

Sasuke stepped up, into the light. 

“What the fuck do you think we’re doing, Hyuuga?” The other man stepped forward, revealing his face. His long hair was let loose, falling over his broad shoulders. His eyes were a strange hue of light lavender. They all lowered their guns, except for that man. Hyuuga that Sasuke had called him. They refused to break their glare. 

I understood now that this was a personal beef. They knew each other. 

“Beat it, Uchiha. Now, before I turn you into walkers.” The group was getting more and more tense. I stepped in to relieve some of it, which didn’t exactly turn out in my favor. 

“You left the door open. You did know that right?” He glared at me, just as angrily as he had at Sasuke. “Look, we just need to fill up on supplies and then we’ll get going. There’s no need for violence.” 

“What makes you think that we would share any of it with you?” Yup… an A-grade asshole. It seemed like wherever Sasuke and this Hyuuga guy were from, they grew them on fucking trees. A small girl, no older than me, stepped up. They looked eerily similar, almost as if though they were brother and sister. 

“N-Neji… please lower your gun.” She got scared when he spun around. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to speak out of bounds… it-it won’t happen again.” Before anything could get the fuck out of hand, another girl stepped between the two. Her chocolate brown eyes stared back at him with the fire of a thousand suns. He lowered his gaze in defeat. 

“Hinata’s right! Enough of this bullshit!” She looked straight into my eyes. For a moment, I could swear there was a hint of compassion hidden somewhere deep in there. But her posture never changed, giving off a “hard-ass” kind of vibe. She wasn’t backing down. 

“Neji’s right too. This is our hideout.” She paused. “However, there’s a bigger issue at hand. Some of us have barely seen blood in their lives.” She glared hard at the young girl who had spoken up. “Therefore, they don’t exactly thrive in these conditions. You obviously seem to know your way around. So let’s make a deal. We’ll share all of this,  _ if  _ you teach us how to survive. What do you say?” I could practically smell the burning hair as Sasuke was thinking. 

Even though I had taken the initiative in all of this, Sasuke was still the leader of the group. He made all of the tough calls. His word was final and no one argued against it. 

“I really don’t like you, Hyuuga.” He spoke candidly as he glared at Neji. “And furthermore… I don’t trust you. But it’s the only positive outcome as of right now.” He sighed, the others patiently awaiting his answer. “Alright. I’m game. You’ll come with us and we’ll teach you. Just know this-” His death glare bored holes into Neji’s skull. “ _ I  _ am the leader of the group from now on. If you cross me… I will kill you. If you get infected, I will kill you. If you conspire against me, I will kill you. If it comes down to a choice between my group and yours, I will kill you _. _ ” He paused. “You all consider me your personal executioner should shit go sideways. I don’t have the time, nor the patience, to deal with bullshit. Out there, it’s do or die… simple as that. Just consider that a free lesson in life. Do I make myself clear?” 

Neji glared at Sasuke, but before he could answer, Sai spun around the corner.

“Do you still think that this steak is edible? I know that it’s way past it’s expiration date, but-” He paused, stopped dead in his track and eyed the new arrivals. Then he turned to Sasuke. “What’s Mr. Almighty doing here?” Sasuke didn’t break eye contact with Hyuuga. 

“They’re coming with us. Grab whatever we need and let’s head out. We don’t have time for this shit.” Sai knew that that could only mean trouble. Although he wasn’t too happy about it, his attitude seemed to change once he spotted the blonde girl with eyes as blue as the tenerife sea. He offered up one of his famous fake smiles, though the blonde didn’t seem to notice that it wasn’t sincere. I rolled my eyes at the dimwit. 

“We haven’t agreed to come with you just yet, remember?” Neji spat. “I haven’t given my answer.” 

“It’s not like I need  _ your  _ answer,  _ Hyuuga. _ ” He met the eyes of everyone in the new group. “Looks like they’ve made up their minds. I don’t know about the Nara kid, but the rest sure looks like they’re fed up with your bullshit tyranny.” He glanced over at the girls with a charming look that took me aback. If there was one thing that Sasuke wasn’t, it was charming and sweet. “You need somebody to protect you, and it sure as hell isn’t someone like Neji. So what do you say?” They all looked at each other. Then the blonde girl walked right up to Sasuke. 

“Okay. I’ll follow you.” She stood behind him, right next to me. While her stride exuded confidence, her eyes screamed fear. She was scared of the consequences. The moment she’d stepped away from her group, she’d basically committed treason. Another man in the background looked straight at the blonde who was pleading at him to following her. 

He sighed. “Man, what a drag.” But he approached us anyway, despite his annoyance. “Good to see you again.” Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement. The other man took his place beside the blonde. She quickly grabbed his hand. Sai’s smile disappeared from his face. A part of me felt bad for him. Another part of me; not so much. 

The brunette hesitantly looked over at Neji, who shook his head at her. He gave the blonde and the man with the pineapple haircut a death glare. She groaned and furrowed her brows. Yup, she was definitely scared of him. The chocolate eyes woman took the shy girl’s hand and lead her towards us when a familiar voice echoed out, startling Neji. 

“Hey, Teme, what do you think about Jamaica-” 

A loud bang followed. 

Naruto quickly hid behind a shelf and grabbed his gun. He somehow snuck behind Neji and disarmed him. A swift quick sent Hyuuga’s gun flying off towards me, which I easily caught. 

“Hey, look who it is. Mr. High and Mighty is back. Man… I thought you were dead!” Their eyes met, and for a second I honestly believed that a murder was about to go down. “You never were the brightest bulb in the lamp.” And there you have it… Naruto fucking Uzumaki ladies and gentlemen, spouting typical nonsense like that. 

“You know, Naruto, even Buddha loses his patience when insulted a third time.” Neji said in a deep, fierce voice. It made me shiver in something closely resembling fear. 

Sasuke stepped in between them. “That’s enough, both of you! Gather what you can carry in your bags and let’s bolt. It would be nice to reach Shadow Island before winter hits.” They let go of each other and took several steps back. 

“Your plan is to bring us to another so called “Safe zone”? Are you fucking kidding me?” That’s when everyone’s heads snapped up. 

“What do you mean “so called safe zone?”.” Neji smirked darkly, telling us what I already had come to suspect long ago. 

“Do you honestly believe all of that radio bullshit chatter out there? Back east they say go west, and back west they say go east. Don’t you see? No place is safe!” 

“And how do  _ you  _ know for sure that it isn’t?” Sasuke asked in anger. 

“We crossed that bridge a few weeks back. It’s filled to the brim with walkers in uniforms. Military issued.” 

“Well…” I started, sighing deeply in defeat. “Shit… so what do we do now? Any suggestions?” The shy girl peeked up. 

“How about we stay here?” She was quickly shot down. 

“With a busted front door and open dock? Not a chance. We’ll be knee deep in walkers soon enough.” Kakashi added, scaring all of us. He’d just appeared out of thin air. 

“Jesus!” I exclaimed, meeting Sasuke’s hard glare. “Yeah, alright, that time I did take the Lord’s name in vain.” 

“Alright… so not here. Then where?” 

I took a deep breath. “Well… I can tell by some of your accents that we might share a common birthplace. So we go where we all came from. We go back to Konoha.” 

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

So, does anyone remember what I said about now planning too far ahead? Well, fuck it I say. From where we were currently standing, we probably had around five days of uninterrupted walking to go. That brings me to another important rule of surviving. 

Out of gas? - Avoiding the automobiles. 

I know that many movies might leave you with the impression that cars run on hopes, dreams and tears of the desperate. But reality was far more complex. They break down, they take up a lot of your time in maintenance, and not to mention - they soak up a shit ton of gasoline.

And gas, well… it’s used by almost every country in the world. By logical estimation, it should be everywhere. The only problem? We’re all tapped out. And syphoning gas left you with terrible heartburn and risk of some serious medical issues. 

Not to mention the fact that they can be filled to the brim with shit and people. While it seems like a dream, it really isn’t. Come hell and high water, and you need to make a quick escape, you also need to quickly grab whatever is of most importance. That means both rearranging stuff  _ and  _ carrying a heavier load that ultimately just slows you down. 

So, better option is to stick with the two good legs God gave you. 

A car is only a good and viable option when you have to make a quick escape. That’s another stupid thing. The need for inhuman speed. If we were meant to run seventy miles per hour down a highway, it would have been programmed into our DNA to do so. Plus, cars make you incredibly lazy, something which I could really relate to right now. 

While the blonde and the navy blue haired women were cute, they weren’t terribly quick on their feet. They slowed us down like you wouldn’t believe. Their shoes were not made for walking, their legs were tired and weak; plus, they drained our water supply down to a fine point. Sasuke just wouldn’t let them have any more until he decided we take a break. Suddenly I heard a shriek. 

“Damn it all to hell, I tell you!” We turned around only to see the blonde, down on the ground, clutching her knee. Sasuke was fed up and in the process of walking away. “Hey, wait! Please don’t leave me behind. Hey, bastard, I’m talking to you!” He simply turned his head. 

“I already told you. If you slow us down, I don’t hesitate to leave you behind. You’re turning out to be an even greater burden than this whole apocalypse.” I on the other hand, didn’t agree with him. Having been alone for such a long time, left me feeling responsible for these people in some weird way. I didn’t want anyone else die out here. There had been enough of that already. 

I helped her to her feet, trailing behind the group. 

“Are you okay?” She nodded and smiled sweetly. My expression went from compassionate to hard in the span of a second. “Just know that I won’t help you again. Next time, I’m leaving your sorry ass on the pavement to rot. Am I making myself clear?” She nodded vigorously. Despite the fear in her eyes, I could tell that we would become good friends. 

And so we kept on walking. We walked, and walked, and… you guessed it… we fucking walked some more. Suddenly we reached a spot ideal for camping. Sasuke overlooked the new location, pleased with what he had found in the few short hours of being on the road. Last night, we had slept in the walmart, everybody on high alert. Tonight, we might finally get a good night’s rest. 

“Gather around.” Sasuke called in a hushed tone, unsure of what might be lurking in the shadows. “Neji, Yamato and Sai are cooking dinner tonight.” Neji snarled at him, but remained pretty much quiet after that. “Sakura, Tenten and Ino, you raise the tents. Naruto, Kakashi and I will scout the surrounding area and take turns on guard duty tonight. Shikamaru and Hinata, you’re on firework duty. Understood?” Lacking a better answer, we all just nodded. And then they were off. Doing as they were told. Like some lost puppies. 

Ino, Tenten and I quickly got to setting up the tents. Four of the bigger variants we’d found back at the store. Two for the girls and two for the boys you might think. No… not exactly. 

Sasuke still didn’t trust them, which meant that two of the tents were for his group, and two for Neji’s. 

Ino started chattering again. “Tell me a little bit about yourself. You said you were from Konoha too. Funny, I’ve never seen you around before-” 

“Let’s skip the pleasant small talk, m’kay?” She averted her gaze in sadness, leaving me to sigh in exasperation. “Just ask me what you  _ really  _ want to know.” 

“What’s everyone in your group like?” I grunted. I didn’t know if I trusted any of them enough to share any sort of information. But since we were going to live together for the next foreseeable future, at some point were were going to have to bond as one group instead of two separate ones. 

“Well, I’m guessing by Sasuke and Neji’s reaction to seeing each other that you all know one another from before all of this.” Ino shook her head. 

“I’m not exactly from around here. California sweetheart, born and raised. Only moved to Konoha a year ago.” 

“I can tell.” I muttered sarcastically. If she noticed my annoyed tone, she paid it no mind. Perhaps it was for the best. “Well… Naruto’s loud and obnoxious, but you might have figured that out already.” She nodded. “Yamato is pretty creepy, but really nice once you get to know him. Sai… well… Sai’s a jerk, even though he disguises it pretty well. Kakashi… he’s a mystery to me. Never takes off that damn mask, not even when he eats. Just shoves the food in down under it. And Sasuke…” The girls interests peaked when I mentioned his name. “Sasuke’s a lot like Sai. Doesn’t say much, keeps mostly to himself… a real stick in the mud.” They sniggered amongst themselves, with me joining in eventually. It was strange… being part of the popular girls club. 

Naruto hollered at us, screaming that dinner was ready. 

We all sat down around the fire and ate our food. Our group on one side, and theirs on the other. Despite that, we all talk to one another and tried our very best to set aside our differences.   
  
And so there we were. At the end of the day, looking upon the starry sky, chattering happily away. Life was short. Why make it shorter? And we all know that without someone to speak to in this world, we’re all powerless. We’re nothing without the people around us, because who amongst us can be everything and everyone at once? And that’s the story of how I met Neji and his group. Now I wished that I would have know about the traitor among them. But as per usual, I’m getting ahead of myself. For now, the starry sky would have to do. And man, did I love it.


	5. Another sleepless night

Mornings… how I hated mornings. Well, that’s only partially true. They’re not what they had once been. Nowadays mornings was the highlight of the day - literally. In Zombieland, light is one of the most valued resource out there. You could stock up on flashlights and batteries, but the one thing that truly mattered was sunlight. 

Despite this, I still wasn’t a morning person. I loved night, but not just because of, well… sleep. No, I loved it because of dreams. They were my everything. To escape the tediousness of everyday life was all you had to look forward to some days. Now that the world was fucked up, they meant that much more. 

Not that they would become reality… but that’s partially the beauty of it all. Knowing that there’s something to escape to when everything came crashing down on you. Because, what would life be without dreams? Nothing. 

So what would people do if dreams didn’t exist? Easy! Kill, kill and kill. Now, you may think that I’m over exaggerating again, like I so often do, but just hear me out! We would be nothing without our dreams, hopes and aspirations. 

What separates us from the walkers?; you might ask. Many things you may say. But to be honest, it’s not that much. We all start out the same way - as living, breathing humans! We’re so alike, yet no one seems to understand that. 

We’d all go nuts without hopes, dreams and our aspirations.

I sighed and tried to go back to sleep for the hundredth time. I turned around and saw Sasuke’s eyes, staring back at me, wide open. 

“Sakura” Emerald met obsidian in and endless gaze. Oh my God. Why did he have to be so Goddamned irresistible!? I gulped audibly. With eyes half lidded, he pulled me closer to him. Was he even awake? 

Before one more thought could cross my mind, his lips were on mine. My heart started racing. The kiss was neither passionate, nor tender. To be honest, I was slightly disappointed. It was… sloppy. 

His tongue darted out, licking at my lips for permission to deepen the kiss. Sasuke began sucking on my bottom lips until I swore that they would still be red until next year. At least he tasted like oranges. When he broke away, his touch and taste still lingered on my tongue. 

I had never been kissed before today. My first kiss, and the guy wasn’t even awake. Sigh, my life officially sucks. And it has barely just begun. His heavy head hit the pillow, and he went limp.

I sat up; trying to figure out what the fuck had just happened. I remained in that position for what seemed like an hour, just staring at the opening of the tent. After some time had passed, I got too sleepy to sit. So I followed his example and went back to sleep. 

 

**OoOoOoOoO**

 

Before long, morning came. Funny how time works. When you really need more of it, you seem to end up with less. Einstein was so right…. Sadly. 

Outside, the usual “Good morning’s” could be heard. Cheery people greeting one another. And then there were the cautious ones that rarely spoke when not spoken to. Like Hinata. 

Since the arrival of the Hyuuga group, things had gotten that much more complicated. Speaking freely was no longer a given and the chances of hell raining down from above increased with each passing day. 

Beside me, Sasuke started to move, signaling that he was on his way out of his deep slumber. For a former soldier, he sure was a deep sleeper. I’d found a person who hated mornings, perhaps even more than I did. 

Oh jolly good, now ain’t it? 

His eyes shot open, and he sat up carefully. 

“Morning, sunshine.” I tried cautiously. 

“Hn.” That was all he ever replied with in the mornings. “Hn”. He rubbed the sleep out of his droopy eyes and yawned loudly. I was happy when he seemed to not immediately recall what had happened last night, thinking that it might be better left in the dark. He turned to me. “Sleep well, Princess? - or is the ground not well suited for her majesty?” 

I snorted. “It’s just fine, thank you. But no, I did not sleep that well.” He grunted in response, and disappointment. He knew as well as I did, that a tired person in Zombieland; was a liability. 

That’s rule number five, folks! 

Stock up on sleep. 

When this whole shit started, people were just too damn scared to fall asleep, staying up for days on end. Once they were on the brink of exhaustion, the walkers did like ABBA had sung and “took the chance”. And thus, another person fell victim to the vicious zombies.

The lack of sleep could just as easily lead to difficulties in attacking, or defending. Exhaustion can also leave you extremely forgetful and cranky. Too tired to lock the door, too angry to be logical. 

He sighed in exasperation, and I felt myself getting annoyed. This was his standard mood, it seemed. “Go back to sleep before you become the death of us all.” I shook my head sharply. The one thing worse than lack of sleep, was slacking off while others were doing my work instead - something that could just as easily lead to irritation in the group. And with irritation, later came the order of my banishment. 

“I’ll be fine. I can sleep tonight.” Sasuke snorted. 

“Yeah, right. I’ll gather the others and start the morning work. You go back to sleep, Princess… I’m really not in the mood for a sloppy and tired partner today.” 

_ Then again, when are you ever? _

But I gave in. “Fine, but if you leave me behind here, I’ll come back as a walker and haunt your ass for the rest of my existence.” He actually chuckled at my comment. It made me feel somewhat warm inside, knowing that he was actually amused. 

Outside, the birds were chirping happily as the rest of the group was preparing for our move. Sasuke exited the tent, joining them. 

I really did try to go back to sleep, but decided to settle on a quick powernap. Little did I know that it would turn into a full on slumber.  

 

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

 

The next time I awoke, it was dark and incredibly cold all around me. The sun was no longer up, and there was nothing but complete and utter silence. As if no one was present anymore. It was too quiet. 

I slowly lifted my heavy head from the pillow, looking around. Funny, Sasuke should have woken me up by now. 

I stuck my head out of the tent, taking a quick peek, only to realize that the others were long gone; judging by low licking of the flame. 

All that remained was a few leftover bottles, discarded all around me. I suddenly panicked, realizing the full extent of the situation I was in. They had packed up their things and left. Left me behind. Left me… to die. 

 

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

 

Sweat dripped off my face as I slowly began to wake from my deep sleep. My head was spinning faster than the teacups at Disneyland and my stomach felt as if though it was going to turn inside out. I stuck my head outside, to find that it was still morning. I sighed in relief when Neji’s face came into view. 

_ They haven’t left after all. _

It had all been a dream. 

“What the hell are you doing?” I looked straight into Neji’s lavender eyes. Those hard, and yet blank eyes, that tried staring me down. I only stared back harder, telling him silently that I wasn’t about to back down from a fight - even if I was fresh out of a nightmare. 

“What’s going on?” Sasuke approached me, as I was slowly crawling out of the tent. I shook my head, telling him that everything was alright. Quickly, I ducked my head inside again to dress for the day. 

My eyes were still sore, and sensitive to all of the light, but I at least felt a little calmer in knowing that I hadn’t been left behind. That eased some of the tension in my joints. Eventually, I left and went down to the river to wash up. 

In the water, my reflection looked a little bit worse for wear. The nightmare must have taken more energy from me than I realized. I shook it off, hearing footsteps approach. 

“I…” Sasuke paused, almost stammering; which was unusual. 

“What?” I asked, trying to sound nice even though I probably ended up sounding as inviting as a walker den. He just shook his head. 

“Nothing…” He left without another word. Somewhere in the background though, I could hear someone else. I inhaled deeply, preparing for an onslaught on noise. 

“Sakura, honey!” Into’s high pitched voice just made me that much more annoyed. God, was I pissed right now. Not even Adventure Time could cheer me up, and that's saying something. 

“What?” I asked, once again trying to sound polite. 

“I just wanted to tell you that Sasuke gave the order for us to head out soon… if you think that you can manage, that is.” I snorted. That’s the thing with Ino. Laced with her sweet words, were ugly little insults. She probably didn’t realize that she was doing it. 

Little Miss Popular never does anything wrong… 

“Probably more than you are…” I muttered under my breath. 

“What?” She asked, completely oblivious… as usual. 

“Nothing. Let’s go.” 

Ino skipped off to somewhere else, bouncing giddily up and down. Something told me that she’d been a cheerleader once. There was just these little things that tipped me off. Everything from the annoying little chants to the dance moves. 

I went over to check on the rest of the group - or at least that’s what it probably looked like. In truth, I really just wanted a cover to be able to spy on the newcomers. 

“Hey, Tenten?” The brunette’s head rose. “How are you all doing? Getting along fine with the rest?” There was something about the browned eyed woman that made me feel safe. I couldn’t quite put a finger on it, but she seemed trustworthy. 

“Would be doing better if that ass over there would help out just a little.” She pointed towards Naruto, who was happily slacking off in a sunchair. His snoring was loud enough to probably attract walkers from miles away. Thankfully, we were leaving soon… 

“Yeah… Naruto’s like that. Asleep through the hard parts and awake for the fun. But… he’s a good guy.” Tenten smiled brightly, like an angel. 

“I know… we all grew up on the same street. Though Naruto was always a little bit…” She trailed off. “It’s not my place to say anything. Besides… we’re all fine now. Well…” Tenten paused again, biting her lip. 

I placed a gentle palm on her arm. “You can trust me.” I spoke, trying to exude some trustworthiness.

“To be honest, I’m a little bit scared that Neji is still mad at me. I dunno… it’s just a hunch. I mean he’s never been this distant before. Before you showed up at the store, he was always nice towards me. Now - it’s like I don’t even exist.” I knew that look all too well. 

“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” Her cheeks quickly turned red and her eyes went big as saucers. Tenten stopped what she was doing and pulled me along towards the river. 

“Look, I’ve been in love with this guy for ten years. If he ever found out - our friendship would be over. He’s a good guy when it comes down to it. But, he’s never been great with feelings. If he knew, he would just ignore it… ignore me - and I can’t deal with that. Please, don’t tell him.” I smirked. 

“Don’t worry, Tenten. I’m not a snitch. Besides - we’re friends. Wouldn’t want to disappoint my friend now, would I?” It might seem strange, Lord knows I thought so, but during our time together; Tenten had become the closest thing I’d ever had to a best friend. She wrapped her arms around me, hanging on tight. 

We broke apart. “Thanks, Saki.” She walked away, leaving me alone to my thoughts. 

I stared into the flowing water, wondering where it might be heading. Maybe, somewhere far away from this. It felt strange, thinking such a thought, but the water just seemed so alive. So vibrant, and fleeting. 

“Princess?” I whipped around, coming face to face with Sasuke. “We’re leaving, so unless you wanna get left behind-” I jogged over to my backpack, throwing one last glance at the river before setting out, into the future.    
  


**OoOoOoOoO  
  
**

Shadow Island was a graveyard. 

That was all I could think about. The fact that all of our plans had gone to shit. So, instead of charging straight ahead to Hilton, we spun around and headed back the way we’d all come. I wanted to believe that Konoha was safe. But I was ever the sceptic. 

Still… 

It was better to head into the unknown right now, rather than backwards. 

So we kept on pushing through, the pain, the exhaustion and the hopelessness, reaching a parking lot. We took some time to search the surrounding houses, hoping to at least find some food. Alas… they’d all been picked clean. 

We were just about to continue our journey, towards Konoha - when we heard it. 

The scream. 

“Oh God, please help me! Please, by God, just help me!” We tried hiding, tried getting away in time… but the walkers were faster. 

They emerged from the ruins of houses, stores, the hunting store… they were everywhere. The road was blocked. 

“Shit.” Ino started shrieking when one caught her obscenely long hair. Sasuke swung his blade, hitting the zombie straight in the head. 

_ Oh no… _

They turned their attention from the woman, towards our group, shuffling over. Before I could comprehend what had happened, a huge van pulled up right in front of us. 

_ Neji. _

“Get in!” He screamed. The guy must have managed to sneak away without anyone of us noticing. I put my foot inside, trying to hoist myself up, when something grabbed ahold of my bag. I tried shaking it off, fearing that it might be a walker, but turned to see Tenten’s terrified eyes. 

“Get the fuck out of my way. I’m not getting left behind!” She threw me backwards, straight into the cracked pavement, and took my place in the car. Once the door was closed, it sped off - leaving me behind. I turned to my right, getting on my feet fast. 

Beside me, Shikamaru was screaming, walkers biting into his bare skin. I didn’t have time to think… I just ran. I couldn’t turn around - he was too far gone. So I kept on running towards the hillside. 

Only when I was standing on top, did I stop to catch my breath. Tears came streaming down, understanding everything clearly. 

They’d left me behind. 

Tenten had pushed me out, and left me here to die. 

Shikamaru was gone. 

I never saw if Sasuke made it in… oh God… he could still be down there. 

I turned, watching the scene below from my vantage point and sighed in relief. No one was there, except for the walkers. My eyes tracked the road, watching a car speed off towards the coast. They were heading to Konoha - I was sure of it. 

And I? I was here. All alone. 

I quickly pulled the rope out of my bag and climbed a tall tree - like I’d done so many times before. With the rope, I tied myself securely to the trunk. I knew that I needed to sleep, to gather my thoughts, but little sleep came that night. I was all alone again. And then… it started to rain. And so passed another sleepless night. 


	6. Like broken glass

Humans. There are approximately seven billion of those little fuckers out there. Some women, some men and some children. We may all look different, but we all share one common goal. Survival. In the beginning, people were survivalists. They didn’t have long distance communication, video games or books. The only thing on their mind was to make it through one more day. 

To see another sunrise. 

Nowadays, a skill such as that had been lost to the ages with only a few useful tricks taught. Without those people from back then, the human race wouldn’t have gotten this far. Without the will, or the knowledge to survive, no one would have lived. And now… only a few of us remain. 

Then again… without human’s, we wouldn’t even be in this situation to begin with. 

Yeah, I know what you’re all thinking. “But Saki, I would totally survive the apocalypse.”. But be honest. Take a good long look in the mirror. Do you really believe so now? Is your answer still yes? Then you must be the most fit, paranoid, skillful motherfucker out there.  

Though, in all honesty, not many would make it through all of this. No one really notices it until it’s time to rise to the occasion. When we have to step up and take our spot amongst the heroes. Amongst the stars. Some make it… other’s fall to the earth. 

I never believed that I would have to be the one to stand up until the sickness started. I was just a wimpy kid, with doey eyes; who masked her fear in anger. In the blink of an eye, I had to leave that childish mess behind and become and adult. But I was lost. I was no one… and then they had saved me. 

Naruto… Yamato… Kakashi… Sai… 

And Sasuke. 

And now I’m all alone… left behind by someone I used to call a friend. My “best” friend. 

You don’t know when you actually have to face the music… the doom. I guess those crazy survivalists were right. You really ought to prepare for the inevitable. 

Now don’t get me wrong here; you should also live in the moment. You should totally live your life, and not just survive it. But if I could go back in time, the first thing I would do was to start prepping.

Well - first of all, I would probably hug my mother and Ana. But right after that, I would get down to it. 

But to be completely, and brutally, honest; I never thought that I was going to live this long. Tears suddenly ran down my pale face, down my cheeks and onto my freshly changed clothes. Why was I here? Oh… right… food. 

I pulled myself out of the convenience store bathroom and into the shop itself. I checked the shelves, happy to find that they hadn’t been cleared yet. I picked whatever I could, quickly skimming to see what had the most nutritional value and stuffed it into my bag. 

It was then that I made the decision. Like so many others, this time comes when you have to stop moping around and start doing something. 

I wasn’t going to die here. I was going to fight - to survive. And I was going to find them. 

I turned the corner, dragging my hand across the surface of the counter. Suddenly, a sharp sting made me retract. 

“Please don’t start bleeding, please don’t start bleeding, please don’t-” I looked down at the crimson liquid and cursed. “Yeah… of course I’m bleeding.” 

I broke rule number six… Beware of your surroundings. 

Now that’s a pretty broad area, I know; but just listen. In reality, it’s very simple. Very basic. Knowing your surroundings isn’t always about noticing every little detail. No, it’s usually about being cautious and notice things as you go along. You don’t always need to know where you are, or where you’re headed for that matter.

You just need to be careful on your way there. 

I quickly pulled my aching hand towards my lips and started to suck. But the blood just kept flowing. 

“Shit… must have been pretty deep.” 

As one single drop hit the floor, I heard the grunting coming from the outside. It was time to leave. 

I hastily wrapped my hand with the best thing I had closeby. A piece of  _ his  _ old shirt. It must have ended up in my bag by mistake while he was packing. I didn’t care right now, actually just thankful that it had. 

The store was pretty far off from the rest of the town, so it was secluded at least. But I had to get back to the task at hand. Raiding the pharmacy. 

I stuffed my uncut hand into the bag, searching for a band-aid or something, when I saw a herd of walkers heading towards the store. They must have smelt the blood. 

“Come on! Give me a fucking break!” I don’t know who I was yelling at… just something. The universe maybe, for fucking me over in this way. At least the back entrance wasn’t flooding with zombies… I hope… 

I ran, tying the fabric, vowing to check on it later when I was out of the woods. My legs carried me towards the bike I’d salvaged a few days back. 

_ At least I don’t have to run.  _ I got on, started peddling, and didn’t stop until I was safe back at my makeshift camp. The only thing left to do was to wait it out, until they were gone. Then I could finally get to the pharmacy. At least the food I’d managed to get would last me a few days - at least. 

I grabbed a can of beans and started munching down on it. It was cold, and tasted stringy as hell, but at least it was sustenance. It would keep me alive, and give me strength to press on. I eyed the bag again, sighing at my predicament. 

I’d have to leave some shit behind again. The bag was too small to carry any more stuff. The day after they left, I’d gotten rid of the tent. A few days after that, I’d thrown away my ruined shoes and donned my new ones. Two days ago, I’d finally gotten rid of four of my water bottles. And I was running dangerously low. 

I’d gotten most of the supplies. “Bet Tenten never realized that before she threw me out, huh?” I was angry. Just thinking of that traitorous bitch made my stomach turn.

Then again - it might be the beans. 

I threw away the empty can into the bushes, climbed the tree, and went to sleep. 

 

**OoOoOoOoO**

 

_ My lungs overflowed with dust, every breath feeling like an uphill battle. I stopped for a second, just to catch my breath. That shadow had been following me for a long time now. It came closer, so I picked up my feet again.  _

_ I couldn’t turn around, fearing that it might catch me.  _

_ As I was running, voices became clear as day. “You’ll never make it out of here alive. Just submit. It’s only going to hurt for a little bit.” Ino was laughing, mocking me.  _

_ “Run, run, my little puppet. And scream when the shadow catches you! Run! Run! Run!” Tenten’s voice frightened me even more. My heart was beating so hard, it felt as if though it was going to beat out of my chest any moment now.  _

_ “Run, hide, run, hide! No matter what; you will never get away.” Neji… oh God, please… not him.  _

_ My foot caught onto something and I tripped. I fell onto the cold ground, holding onto my aching knees. I couldn’t run anymore. The shadow had caught up with me.  _

_ One second, there was complete darkness… the other - the light took over. Sasuke slashed at it, killing the darkness. Slaying the shadow.  _

_ He reached out to me, extending his hand in invitation. I threw myself into his waiting arms, sobbing hard.  _

_ “I thought I would never see you again.” I stuttered while wiping my tears away. He leaned down, and kissed me. It was sweet, and tender, but most of all - it felt like home.  _

_ “What are you talking about, Saki? I’m right here. No matter what, I’ll always be here… in your dreams. Look for us… don’t forget us.” His face started to fade, then his neck and torso were gone, until all that remained was complete light.  _

_ “I won’t forget! I will find you!” I screamed into the abyss. And then it was over.  _

 

**OoOoOoOoO**

 

I slowly opened my eyes, unsure of what I was going to see. I sighed in relief when the town came into view before me. I was back in the real world again. A really broken world, but reality nonetheless.

Underneath the tree, something was stirring, making an incredible amount of gurgling noises. I looked down, spotting the walker. 

“Well… hello there, Mister Zombie.” I greeted, voice dripping with sarcasm. “We’ve gotta do something about you being in my way and all.” He started hissing at me.  _ Huh. Looks like a fresh kill. _ Probably haven’t been dead for more than a few hours. 

I gazed down, noticing the hunting knife in his stomach. A cringe quickly formed. “Wonder who you pissed off to be in this situation.” I realized that I couldn’t very well just down and greet Mister Zombie, hoping that he wouldn’t gnaw on me. So I undid the tied rope, let it fall to the ground, and reached for my knife. 

I threw it. With one swift jab to the eye, he was dead - for real this time. 

I left the other walkers little chance to reach me, working quickly. I jumped down and grabbed the rope; fearing that if I stayed, I might get stuck up in the tree longer than I could afford. I quickly put it back in my bag and jogged, as quietly as I could, towards the pharmacy. 

_ That’s odd… no walkers out.  _

The climate was ideal for the zombies. Moderately cold, dark, shrouded by greenery. And yet, no walkers in sight. 

“Just because you can’t see them, doesn’t mean that they’re not there.” I started to miss the group, realizing that I’d said those exact words before… back before Neji and his stupid gang had joined our folds. I pushed those thoughts down, focusing on what needed to be done. Despite the danger, I decided to go for it. Decided to push through, despite the warning signs.     

Had I known then, what I know now, I would have never walked into that stupid pharmacy. I would’ve stopped, turned, and charged straight into the darkness. I would have run towards the coats, towards Konoha… towards  _ him _ . But maybe - just maybe - it was pertinent to my story that I make this one mistake. I mean, Sasuke would have never met-

As I opened the door, the most shrilling sounds hit my ears. I’d triggered the alarm. 

There was no time to think. But my limbs went as stiff as stones, falling useless by my sides. What happened next, would change my life forever. I didn’t even hear the herd over the sound of the alarm. Before I could react, it dugs its dirty teeth, straight into my wrist. I let out a scream, but managed to somehow fend him off. I ran, as fast as my legs would carry me, into the other direction. 

For what seemed like an eternity, I sprinted, until my legs gave out - and I fell face first into the gravel. I lay there, uncertain of whether or not I should get up. What was the point? I was going to die anyway. 

You never recover from this - so why fight the bittersweet end? 

I had nothing left anyway. So why keep on postponing my fate? My only regret was that I didn’t find them. I knew that I had let them down… That I had failed them. So I cried. The pain hit like a truck, coursing like lava through my scorched veins. Everything burned. 

Everything hurt. The gravel cut into my skin. 

My world came crashing down. Like broken glass. 


	7. Life's big mistakes

Do you remember? I don’t seem to. How did I get here? Who am I? Why am I here? 

_ Get ahold of yourself.  _

You probably don’t know who I am either, huh? Well then… let me introduce myself. My full name is Sakura Yuki Haruno and I was born in March, 1996. I have a mother, a father, and a sister. And - though I hated to admit it - I had a stepfather. Once upon a time, I had a family. But the realization that they were gone… it hurt. 

Now, I’ve had my fair shares of pain in my life, but nothing compares to this. 

I always like to say that I made two big mistakes in my life. The first one was trusting my sister when she claimed that it was completely safe to jump off a ladder and into the hay. I ended up with four stitches on my buttcheek. And the second mistake was this one; walking into a zombie infested pharmacy, tripping the alarm, and get bitten by one of them fuckers. 

It hurt, both times. But this pain was worse. It stung again, quite horribly. But not a throbbing pain, like it had been before. No, more like someone was rubbing anti bacterial gel into an open wound. The pain was… clean. Death was not supposed to be clean. Right? Because, let’s face it, that’s what I am. Dead. 

Once bitten, you die. There’s no escaping that fact. 

But pain, meant that you were alive. Did zombies feel pain? Did they think? Did they recognize the scent of antiseptics? My eyelids felt heavy, but nothing compared to my limbs. My body felt as if though it had been glued to the ground. 

I tried moving, to fight this feeling, but it was pointless. No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn’t bring myself to move. Eventually, I realized why. I wasn’t glued to the floor. I was tied down. 

“Hey?” Someone asked experimentally. “You alive? Or are you a walker?” That voice. Sasuke? Was it him? I forced my eyes open, only to be completely blinded by the light. When my vision returned, I found myself disappointed. It wasn’t Sasuke. 

Though his eyes were gentle. Green and gentle. His hair red, gleaming like blood. I coughed. 

“W-where am I?” I croaked out, every word feeling like my throat was grounded against sandpaper. He smiled at me. 

“Don’t worry, you’re safe. Not far from the town. I found you on my routine check. You kept mumbling in your sleep. That’s when I noticed the bite.” I looked around, checking out the small shed. Nothing special, but afforded us the cover from the elements. 

“Why didn’t you put me down? Why didn’t you end my suffering?” He chuckled. 

“Because you weren’t really dead. You’re just like me.” He showed off his arm, bites present all over. He turned around, reached for a knife and proceeded to cut the bindings off. “Though…” He paused. “I couldn’t be too sure. Had to tie you up, just in case. No hurt feelings?” I shook my head. 

“No… I get it. You were just being cautious.” I coughed again. “Do you have some water?” The man nodded, rose and came back with a bottle in hand. I grabbed it, noticing the bite on my wrist. It was starting to heal. Ignoring it, I gulped down on the cold liquid, trying to savor every last drop. 

He chuckled again. That bright, bubbly, warm chuckle. “Easy there, kiddo. You don’t want it going down the wrong pipe.” I ignored him too. When I was finished, I handed him back the empty plastic container. 

“You sure seem spry for someone who’s been out of the loop for the past two days.” My head whipped up. 

“Two days? I’ve been out for two fucking days?” I gawked in disbelief. The red headed man nodded. 

“Yeah. You probably won’t be able to move around as much as you’d like to. You’re probably suffering from muscular dystrophy.” I looked at him and tilted my head. 

“What’s that?” 

“Your muscles have started degenerating. Don’t worry though - you’ll be back to normal in no time. Just a word of advice-” He paused. “Don’t bite anyone. We’re carriers.” 

“What do you mean?” I asked. 

“I mean that we’re…” He paused again. “I don’t really know how to explain. Well… we’re immune. We’re essentially walkers, carrying the disease on. So if we bite somebody, they’ll turn. I learned that the hard way. Some fucker pinned me down, tried to grab my shit. I bit him right in the hand, hard enough to draw blood. I managed to get away. But I watched from afar as he turned.” I nodded in understanding. 

We sat in silence for a little while, me trying to rise from the bed, before he spoke. 

“You should probably eat something. I made some soup.” I took one good, long inhale through my nose - smelling the food. On que, my stomach growled loudly. I glanced around as he was scooping the contents into two bowls, taking in my surroundings. 

The cottage/shed was small, but secure. The windows were barred and the door was locked up tight with a chain. There was little light, just a couple of dimly lit candles. He came back over to me and handed over the bowl. “It’s not lobster and champagne, but it’s all that I managed to scrounge up.” 

I put the spoon into my mouth and slurped. The first real food that I had eaten for days. We ate in complete silence, only the occasional slurp breaking it. I eventually looked up. 

“I’m Sakura.” I extended my hand for him to shake. 

He took it in his own. “Pleasure to meet you, Sakura. My name’s Gaara.” We broke apart, going back to our food. “What were you doing in Suna that late at night, raiding a pharmacy?” I blushed. Yeah, what had been the real reason for my stupidity? Penicillin? Antibiotics? Flu medicine? Nope… not even close. 

“I was looking for… pills.” He cocked an eyebrow. I was really hoping to avoid further questions, but it seemed as if though he wasn’t done asking them.

“What kind of pills?” I averted my gaze. “Ah… lady pills. Hoping to avoid pregnancy? Your boyfriend not fit for fatherhood?” I shook my head. 

“No… no boyfriend. Getting my period is just a bitch. It’s not like tampons grow on trees.” He nodded, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. “And… well… yeah.” He nodded again. 

“So no boyfriend, huh?” Gaara asked again. 

No… because that would violate rule number seven. Stay away from sex. Getting pregnant in the United States of Zombieland was just foolish. Not only was caring for an offspring a tremendous amount of responsibility - it could also prove to be your undoing. So therefore… no sex! 

“Nope… like I said… no boyfriend. Remaining celibate until the day I die.” He laughed. “So you’re out here all alone too, huh?” 

He nodded. “Yeah. Though, I used to have a family. A sister.” His smile turned solemn. “We were out on a raid when the alarm caught us off guard. She stumbled on the way out and got a pretty nasty gash on her leg. It got infected…” I looked into his eyes. 

“I’m so sorry for what happened to you. It can’t have been easy.” He shook his head. I placed a gentle hand on his arm and squeezed.  

“No… it wasn’t. I took it better than Kankuro though.” I tilted my head. “We had a brother. When Temari died, he went into a depression. I found him one day - dead in a chair.” 

“That’s terrible.” I exclaimed. “What happened?” 

“He shot himself in the head. Couldn’t live with the pain of losing our baby sister. Of course, he neglected to think about what would happen to me after that. He didn’t even think about me. It sucks, but at the same time, I’m glad. Because now I know that they’re not alone. They’re in heaven… looking down on me.” 

There was an awkward silence before he continued. “So what about you? Any family?” 

I shook my head. “No… I used to be part of a group. We…” I paused when I realized just how much it hurt to talk about. “We got separated some ways back. I’ve been alone since then - trying to find my way back to them.” 

We didn’t speak after that… just sat in each others company. And that’s the story of how I met Gaara. 

I quickly learned after meeting him that he was twenty-three and had previously worked at his father’s company doing God knows what - I never asked. I also learned that he’d been engaged, but she’d died during the first couple of hours of the apocalypse. 

He’d shared that while we were eating dinner one night. In turn, I told him about my family situation and about my friends… about the betrayal. And I told him about Sasuke. 

Just thinking about him made me wonder if he’d ever really existed - or if I had just dreamed it all. I missed him terribly. He was my bowl of ice-cream on a hot summer’s day. I knew that I had to go look for him again… but I also knew that Gaara desperately wanted me to stay. 

We’d broached the subject again, over a bowl of chili. He just blurted it out. 

“Sakura.” I looked up. “Come with me to Colorado. Please?” My heart stopped beating. He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. 

There comes a time in everyone’s life. A time where you have to chose. Here - or there. Where do you turn? Left or right? Safety… 

Or the unknown? 

“Gaara… I’m sorry. But you’re not  _ him _ . I have to find Sasuke. I just know that they’re out there somewhere - that they’re alive.” He stood up and shook my shoulders. 

“Sakura, don’t you understand? They left you! They left you out there to die! And now that you’re finally well enough to travel again, you choose them? The ones who betrayed you? God, are you really so stupid that you would go and make the same mistake all over again?” I took a deep breath. 

“Yes… I really am that stupid.” His eyes turned back to their gentle state and he let go of my shoulders. 

“Why? It’s not rational!” He was right. It certainly wasn’t. So why would I do this? Try to return to a group that had left me to die? 

I took a deep breath. “Love isn’t rational, Gaara. But I love him. I love Sasuke, with all my heart. Nothing else matters.” His eyes suddenly went hollow and dead. As if the person behind them was lost. Gaara shook his head. 

“Yeah… well,  _ I  _ love you.  _ I’m  _ here. Shouldn’t that matter? I’m right here, Sakura.” I’d known about his feelings for days now. The way he always kept a watchful eye over me. The way he held me when I was crying - when the pain became too much to bare. And the way he kissed the top of my head when he thought I was sleeping. 

But I couldn’t return those feelings. “Gaara.” I reached out, placing my hand on his. “I love you too… but not like I would a lover. You’re like a brother to me. You will always be a special somebody to me, but-” He cut me off. 

“But I’m not somebody that you can build a relationship with?” I shook my head. 

“No… I’m sorry. You’re not  _ him _ .” 

The silence that followed us around the next two days was an awkward one. We didn’t utter so much as a word to the other. On the third day, I finally snapped. 

“Gaara… enough! We can’t keep doing this! I refuse to walk on eggshells around you any longer. Please…” He looked up at me, stunned that I had been the first one to break the silence. But then he just looked down again, back at the food. 

“You’re planning on leaving tomorrow, aren’t you?” His eyes were just as dead and as hollow as before. 

“What are you-” 

“I found your bag packed. It’s by the door. You’re leaving if the rain lets up.” I shook my head and sighed. 

“No, Gaara. I’m not leaving tomorrow. The bag is packed in case of an emergency. I’m paranoid like that. I’m sorry that made you think that I was leaving you behind.” He picked at his food. 

“I know that you want to believe that he’s out there… that he’s the good guy. But I don’t think that you should try to chase after him anymore. For one, you don’t even know where he is! And if you did manage to find him, which is still a big  _ if _ , what if you’re too late? What if he’s already gone?” My expression hardened. 

“Then I would figure it all out as I went along. Not everything has to be planned out perfectly. I just need to know that they’re heading towards Konoha. If they’ve left already, they’ll have left behind some clue for me to find. In case I came to track them down.” It grew eerily void, not even the fire making a crackling sound. 

“So where does that leave us?” He whispered quietly, almost as if he was asking himself rather than me. 

I shrugged. “I dunno. Unless you’re willing to join me, then…” I trailed off. “Then this is the end for us.” He stared at me with saddened eyes. 

“You really are insane, you do know that right?” I chuckled. “I’m sorry, Saki… but I can’t go with you. I won’t be going on this insane witch hunt with you. I won’t hunt for somebody who might very well be a ghost by now, or even worse, one of them.” Gaara pointed towards the barred window. 

“Yeah… I’m really sorry too, Gaara. That I can’t be who you want me to be.” A few tears fell down from his eyes. 

“I-it would be easier for me if you just ripped this off like a band-aid. It’s better if you just left tomorrow.” Looking at the door, I’d come to a crossroads. Stay with the person who saved my life - or go hunt for the reason I needed saving in the first place. 

After debating whether or not to stay the night, I ultimately decided to leave now - while it was easier on the both of us. I turned the knob, but looked back one last time. 

“Thank you for saving my life, Gaara. I won’t ever forget you - or what you’ve done for me. If I don’t find him in Konoha… then maybe…” I inhaled, breathing easier now than ever. “Then maybe, I’ll come back and look for you.” He nodded and looked down, into the fire. That had been the first, and the last time, I’d seen him cry. Had I known back then, I would’ve killed him while I still had the chance. If I had only known… 

Because moments after I closed that door, a sick grin had begun to form on his lips as his plan was set in motion. One that could very well end with the entire world in flames. He grabbed a radio from the cupboard and spoke. 

“Hey, it’s Gaara. I’ve got another interesting one, over.” He waited for a moment, before he received a brief answer. On the other side, a voice so evil it could make grown men weep in fear. 

“Is that so? What’s so special about this one?” He smirked and watch me walk away through a crack in the wall. 

“Because-” He licked his lips and stepped away. “This one  _ truly is  _ immune.” 

 


	8. All out of time?

Minutes, days, weeks, years, decades… time. What we choose to do with it, is up to us. With time, we can change into those we wish to become. We can change so much, if we just have the time. 

But what happens when we’re all out? Now that’s the real question. What happens to that time? Does someone else get that chance to change their life, or does that same time run through their fingers like sand? 

You could spend your whole life doing what’s expected of you. But when you stand there, staring into the empty eyes of death, would you cower away, denying that it’s your time to go? Or would you greet him like an old friend and tell him that you’ve lived life to the fullest. 

No one knows what could have been. No one can know what you could have changed; could have done differently. Life would just be an endless string of “what if’s” 

What would have happened if you’d had turned left instead of right on your way to work this morning? Would you have ended up where you intended to go - or would you have bumped into an old friend? 

My point - time fades, and moments pass. It’s fleeting, like the water in a flowing river. 

One day I’m sitting next to my friends, feasting on rabbit stew, and the next I’m all alone out in a cruel world that wants nothing more than to end my existence. I guess what I’m trying to say is this; You never know just where you’ll end up - where time might take you. 

So before you go on and plan several paces ahead, really think. 

Then again, here I was; on my way to Konoha. I had broken my “don’t think too far ahead” rule by planning my route for over two weeks now. I’d been out here for two weeks, cursing myself for planning too far ahead; subsequently raising my hopes skyhigh. 

Only to have them smacked down. 

My wound hurt and the little supplies I had left - were running out fast. I had to live on whatever I found on the roadside. 

It would have been a great hike, had it not been for the walkers fucking me over every step of the way. I surveyed my surroundings, hoping that a magical deer might walk out of nowhere, into my sights. Sadly, I knew that it was just wishful thinking. There was nothing to eat… 

“Well, that’s just fucking great, innit?” I was so hungry I could feel my stomach eating itself. Like a super skinny super model on her super strict diet to become even super slimmer. Nothing to eat, nothing to eat, nothing to eat. What to do?

“And knowing that my water reserves are running dangerously low is just fucking perfect too.” I muttered. I looked ahead, hoping to find a huge reservoir. Heck, I’d even settle for some ice-cream. Or tacos. I could swear everything smelt like someone was cooking tacos. 

_ Wait a minute. _

I took a long inhale through my nose, sniffing the air. IT really did smell  _ something  _ cooking, but it sure as hell wasn’t tacos. 

I started sprinting down the narrow country road, spinning around the corner… and froze. A huge cloud of smoke was rising from a burning building, which stood ablaze. Though I swear, I could smell someone cooking food. Perhaps the reason behind the flames. 

Then I saw it. Something that totally turned me from the thought of food. Three people running outside, all of them getting swallowed whole by the fire. A mother, a father and their kid. And I could do nothing to help… they were too far gone. 

Had I ignored my sense of smell, and kept on walking, my story would have looked that much different. But instead, I had followed my nose, which had lead me here. With a house this big, and people that had survived thus far, they must have had a separate food storage. They must have… right?

I snuck closer, careful to avoid the corpses - in case they came back as walkers. I carefully turned the corner, and instantly spotted a shed; isolated from the main building. This must be it… their food storage. 

I took one step closer, then another, and another, until I was finally standing right in front of the door. 

“It’s now or never.” I said as I pushed the door open. To my great surprise, I found more than I’d anticipated. Not only was there food enough to feast on for months to come, but there were also so many other supplies I could use on my quest to find my friends. 

I closed the door behind me, careful not to get jumped while I wasn’t looking, and got to work. I grabbed as many cans of beans and soup that I could carry, but threw in some light snacks as well. While on the road, there was a bigger than average chance that you didn’t have time to sit down for a proper meal. That's when pretzels, trail mixes and granola bars came in handy. For the heck of it, and because it had been so long since I’d had one, I tossed in two cans of soda. 

When I was done packing, I finally took the time to spin around and truly take in my surroundings. A murphy bed, lamps, magazines, weapons, new clothes… and a plank, used to barricade the door. 

A proper place to rest my head tonight. Secure, comfortable and well supplied. But then again - sleeping only a couple of feet away from a burning building might just be sheer stupidity. Call it sleep deprivation, or the feeling of relief, but I’d made up my mind. I was spending the night. In hindsight, I realized that if I hadn’t slept there, I might have been dead by now. But as per usual, I’m getting ahead of myself. 

I was just about to open and cook a can of soup, when I swore I heard voices outside. I quickly put the can back on the shelf and began investigating the source of the sound. Careful as I am, I treaded over to a small window, and peered outside; all the while trying to remain undetected. 

Their voices became louder and more distinguishable. That’s when I realized that they were male. They were tall, almost seven feet, one of them carrying a giant sword. The other seemed extremely passive, void of any kind of emotion. His long, black hair was tied into a ponytail, and reached to the middle of his back. He pulled out a walkie talkie and pushed the speak button. 

“IU9261 reporting in. Mission complete. Agents heading back to base. House is burnt to a crisp. No survivors. Over.” There was a slight sparking sound in the device before someone finally answered. 

“IU9261, permission to proceed. Over and out.” The black haired man turned to his partner. 

“Ready to leave?” He asked curtly. The partner looked over at him with a sick grin. From this angle, his teeth looked as if though they had been filed down. As to resemble the teeth of a shark. I cringed. 

“Not quite. There’s a shed over there. Looks undamaged enough. Might still be something salvageable in there.” They both turned their attention to the shed.  _ My shed. _ Oh shit. I was starting to panick. There was no other exit than the front door. 

“You know what the orders are. Elimination only. We’ll return tomorrow with a salvage team to gather the loot. Once the fire’s been put out…” He mumbled and began walking away. 

“Fine…” The other retorted dryly. “Man, watching the fear in the kid’s eyes as I set him on fire, priceless.” He chuckled, making me gag. To think that people like him still existed in this world made me sick to my stomach. But I could sigh in relief now that I knew that they wouldn’t be back until tomorrow at the earliest. 

Once they were out of my sight, I put them out of my mind as well. I would have to get up early in the morning to avoid their team. It was better not to attract any more unwanted attention… in case there was still somebody in the area. 

Just to be safe, I barred the door before I started eating. I ate it raw, drinking it as if though it was water. By the state of it, it might as well have been. But it was tomato, and it reminded me of Sasuke. 

He loved tomatoes. When he wasn’t around, Naruto would often call him the “king of tomatoes”. I laughed at the memory, but my giggles eventually turned into tears; streaming down my face. I no longer cared if anyone heard me. 

In a fit of rage, I flew out of my seat and started throwing shit around - breaking rule number eight. 

Rule eight, you ask? - Limit your sounds. 

Don’t give the lurkers yet another way to find you. What can I say? I was too damn sad to care about my stupid rules anymore. I was all alone, in a shed, crying my eyes out while trashing the place. 

All of my rules had gotten me here, and they sure as hell wasn’t going to bring me back to the group. 

I threw the last bottle of water into the floor until I lay down in the cold liquid, uncaring of what happened to me right now. As I was looking around, I spotted something underneath one of the shelves. With a careful hand, I reached out. It was a frame, with a picture in it. 

A picture of a son with his mother’s black hair and his father’s heavy bones. It must have been the kid in the next house over. I stopped crying, realizing that it wasn’t my rules that had gotten me into this situation, but my disregard of them. 

So I sat up, wiped my tears and started packing for the following days. 

There was still time… time to mend the broken bonds. Time to forgive - time to find my way back home. 


	9. California gun nut

Do you know that the U.S is the leading country in the world when it comes to gun violence? Never has it been so easy to get a gun, and never has it been easier to kill. Killing? Violence? The easy way out? Isn’t that how we all ended up here? 

We killed each other in order to be the last one standing. To save ourselves. I never thought I would experience it for myself - before I was left for dead in this barren wasteland, filled with the dead roaming. My so called “friends” had left me for dead. Had abandoned me, when I needed them the most. 

This was no longer a world where you could just push the baby bird out of the nest in hopes that it would survive. No, though that would have been preferable. This was now a world where you push the baby bird out of the nest, whilst sleeping, into a burning pit of lava. Knowing that, would you leave someone behind? Then again - why save them? They’re just dead weight… a drain on your resources.

Why even bother returning for you? On that note, why bother with people at all? Though the answer should be easy and obvious, that isn’t always the case. But the answer  _ is  _ obvious; because we’re social beings. We’re pack animals. We love to socialize. We create a bond with those around us. Those we call friends. You don’t kill your friends. 

Though in this new world - it’s do or die. Survive - or don’t. 

A bullet would have been nicer than being left behind to struggle, like I had done before I’d found them… because at least then you would know… that you were beyond saving. At least then, you could fall into sweet oblivion. 

But not with me… no… no bullet for poor little Sakura. Like I said; Why bother? 

Tenten, Neji and the others… they’re just like every other human out there. Untrustworthy. But in some situations, you had to rely on the kindness of others. 

I sighed, thinking about these things whilst counting my bullets. Fourteen left… not nearly enough to survive my trek back to Konoha. I needed to raid a gunstore, and fast; before the group moves on. Before they grow too tired of waiting for me. 

I hastily grabbed my stuff, deciding to skip out on this place while I still had the time. While I still had the chance. I stepped out of the shed, overlooking the aftermath of the fire. 

On the ground in front of the house, a big X was painted in red paint. X as in done, over, finished. X as in “target eliminated”. Whatever reason those people had to kill these poor family, died with the last flame. 

It was completely devoured by the fire, and all that remain were the ashes. 

Had I gotten there earlier, I might have been invited in to spend the night. Then I too, would have perished in the fire. My foot connected with a stuffed teddy with the letters “Rascal” written all over him; in the same paint as the X. 

The bear itself wasn’t strange, however - the weight was. 

I flipped it over, looking for some sort of zipper, and found what it a second later. 

I snorted. “Right up the ass. What the fuck is wrong with the toy companies?” I opened the bear up, and out came a small caliber handgun. By the looks of it, a trusty 10mm. While guns weren’t my strong suit, I did know my way around a standard 10mm. That’s rule number 9; 

Guns - know your way around yours!

Say you’re raiding in a place, you have to know which bullets to grab for which guns. It’s important not to grab a .22 and try to pair it up with a 9mm one. Otherwise… well… you get the idea. 

I checked the magazine of my newly acquired firearm, noticing three bullets still left. Two for dangerous lurkers… and one for me if things got out of hand. I shrugged, shook my head and swore that I would cross that bridge when I got there… 

_ If I ever do…  _

After a quick look around, and having found nothing of any greater value, I hit the road. I quickly realized that perhaps stuffing my bag with six cans of soup may have been over the top. My shoulders were already starting to hurt, plus; they took up too much space. Oddly enough though, I had been craving tomatoes when I’d been packing. 

Had the world not been so fucked up, this walk would have been really nice. I felt at peace with myself, despite the pressure I was under. 

It was a warm summer day, but soon enough, autumn would be here. The leaves were slowly turning yellow and the wind was blowing brisker. However, there was still warm enough for me to be traveling in nothing but a pair of ripped jeans and an old t-shirt. 

Because of my heavy bag, I soon had to stop and take a quick break. Not only to gather my thoughts, but also to drink some water. I sighed… Konoha wasn’t exactly a stone’s throw and a happy skip away. It would take me at least another week at this pace. Maybe they would already be gone by then?

I took a deep breath, a hasty stretch and one last sip from the bottle. I debated whether or not I should eat a can of soup and a bag of chips, but decided to save them until I really needed them. I’d eaten last night… I could manage until nightfall. 

But I didn’t get up… just sat there, staring at the sky. 

And then… I fell asleep. 

I didn’t wake up until a few hours later, whilst the sun was setting. I’d been stupid enough to fall asleep. You know when your parents tell you not to sleep during the day because you would be up all night. Well - there was no one around to inform me of that. 

Luckily, it seemed that Gaara had been right. Walkers avoided people like us… the ones that had already been bitten. The “carriers”. I got up and dusted myself off. 

The gravel crunched underneath my shoes as I walked. The silence was deafening. So I started singing, to fill the void. 

“ _ I walk a lonely road, the only road that I have ever know. Don’t know where it goes, but it’s home to me and I walk alone- _ ” 

Aaah, the early days of Green Day. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, in my less than humble opinion. There was something about their songs, that spoke the truth of the world. Holiday, 21 guns, American idiot, you name it. 

A bit down the road, I scouted trouble. A walker - or more likely bait. Since walker became smarter, the more time that passed, they knew exactly what to do in order to lure humans into the jaws of death. Put one of them on the road, in order to fool the human into thinking that that lurker was the only one out there… and then… they jump out of nowhere, chomping down on the sweet ass your momma gave you, faster than you can yell “daumn!” True story, bro. 

So I had to find another way around it. Walking into the forest might be an even stupider move, so I pulled out the map I had been going after, and searched for alternative routes. I briefly looked down and found a jogger's trail not far from here. Sadly, it went through an area I was completely sure; was overrun by walkers. So I had to make a call… 

Make a run for it through the forest - or take my chances with one walker. 

Since the walkers were probably lines up, by the edge of the trees; hidden from sight, it would be better to choose the track. 

“These shoes ain’t made for running.” I looked down at my feet. “May as well change.” I quickly dropped my bag onto the ground, and grabbed my new shoes from it. They fit perfectly on my weirdly shaped feet. I smiled. Despite my little mishap of falling asleep in the middle of the road, it had been a good day so far. 

I started running, straight into the untamed wilderness. The further I got into the forest, the faster my heart started beating. There was only the sound of my feet hitting the ground, and my heavy breathing. But then, I realized that I wasn’t running alone anymore. Something was following me - but not in a million years would I have been able to guess what. 

A horse… a beautiful, brown racetrack horse. Clad in a saddle and bridle, with a number painted into his neck. I looked him over, searching for injuries. I exhaled when I realized that there was none. 

Lacking any better ways of transportation, I put my foot in the stirrups and mounted the horse. It was a little bit wobbly at first, but when he started walking, I evened out. 

“Alright, boy… I don’t know you, and you don’t know me, but we’re just going to have to bare with each other until… well… as far as you’re willing to take me. I’m sorry, I don’t have any food for you, but there’s plenty of grass. I mean, you eat grass. Right, boy?” He snorted loudly and let out a neigh. “Yeah… I’m becoming crazy. Talking to a horse.” 

I was almost thrown out of the saddle when he pulled his head forward, but I quickly remembered the lessons I had taken as a child and sat upright again. I gave a gentle squeeze with my feet, and he quickly caught onto the drift. He started throttling carefully, avoiding any obstacles. 

“See, you’re doing great. You must have been ridden a lot. I don’t know about you, but it’s been awhile since the last time I did this.” He just kept on strutting. For a while, that was all that echoed out.

After about an hour into the ride, the sun had disappeared completely from the horizon. Then came another problem. I wasn’t tired per say, but I did need to sleep. But I had nowhere to stash the horse. Nowhere safe for him to sleep. I could just tie him to a tree, but then he might get overrun by walkers. Not only would they devour him, they would also alert more of their kind. Fucking lurkers. I had no better solution than for him to walk free underneath the tree. If he wanted to leave, then who was I to stop him? 

I dismounted, petted his neck and climbed the tree.

I looked down one last time, watching as he closed his beautiful brown eyes. I followed his example, getting some shuteye. 

When I awoke the next morning, the sun had just started peaking up from the edge of the world. I peered down, and found to my great surprise that the horse was still there. And even better, he was eating. 

I undid the knot, stretched and yawned, before dropping boots down onto the ground. He didn’t seem the least bit spooked, which was even more surprising. Horses spooked easily, but he seemed calmer than ever. 

“Alright…” I walked over, mounted and squeezed my feet against his abdomen. “Let’s get going.” 

 

**OoOoOoOoO**

 

Several hours later, we stopped by a lake for a quick drink and I took the opportunity to bathe. I stood there, washing myself; head to toe, when I realized that he hadn’t been brushed. That kind of friction a saddle caused could leave serious scarring. 

I got out, still naked, and undid the saddle. It fell onto the ground with a loud thump. I lead him into the water, where we walked around a little. I removed the bridle as well, cleaning it in the old stream. I splashed some of the water onto his back carefully. The horse seemed to enjoy it. We got out eventually, and I let him walk freely around while I was drying myself off. 

It took longer for him to dry, because of all the fur, but after an hour it was no longer wet. I’d spent my time accordingly, planning my stops, the tours and my supplies. With the horse, I would probably make it to Konoha within a few days. I looked up at the sky, trying to remember their faces. 

_ “I’m on my way, Sasuke. I promise.”  _ I thought. After a small snack, I grabbed the saddle and got the horse ready. We rode towards the nearest town, a little bit to the west. I knew that town by heart… my mother’s hometown. 

I dismounted again, a walked up to the front door of the gunstore. It was barricaded from the inside. Wow… what a shocker; I thought sarcastically. I peered in through the window and determined that the amount of dust that had accumulated must have been there for at least six months. No walkers were in sight either, so that was a good sign. 

“Guess we’re going to have to do this the hard way, ne?” I walked around back, looking for another entrance.  _ Bingo _ . A door with the words “Authorized personnel only” scribbled on it. I reached for the handle and pulled the door open with a hard yank. 

The only problem? - the fucking alarm. 

“My God!” I screamed. “This is the pharmacy heist all over again…” I quickly slammed the door shut behind me, and looked around for the code to shut the alarm down with. I spun around when a low grunt alerted me. The walker just kept looking into my eyes with his dead gaze, but ignored me after that. 

“Alright, Mr. Zombie… you won’t disturb me, and I won’t bother you. Sound good?” It almost sounded as if he grunted in response, but of course; I knew that he was just doing what most walkers do. Shuffle, moan and some more shuffling. 

I looked around, guns hanging on the walls all over. But the alarm was still blaring too loudly. I needed a way to shut it off. I turned back to the walker. 

“You don’t happen to have the code, do you?” That’s when I noticed the uniform. I looked up at the employee photo’s. And there he was. “Huh, you probably do.” I reached out, but it must have startled him. He lashed out, grasping for me, but I easily repelled. Before he could bite, I grabbed the nearest gun and shot. It fell instantly. 

I wasted no time, searching through his pockets for a slip of paper with the code on it. All I found was a tag. I pushed it up against the alarm, and as if I was the Wizard of Oz, it shut off. 

There was no time to do a thorough sweep with the horse waiting outside, so I grabbed whatever I could. A sword here, a bow there and a few handguns. I spotted the M-16 on the wall and decided to grab that one as well. Might be useful when I reunited with the group.

Then there was a crackle, coming from somewhere deeper into the store. 

I quickly spun around, and cautiously approached. It was coming from inside a duffle bag. Instinctively, my hand reached out and grabbed it.  _ A walkie talkie. _ But the signal wasn’t clear, hence the crackling sound. I walked around some more, trying to get a steady connection. 

_ “I”  _ Pause. “ _ Shots.”  _ Another crackle. “ _ You… alright?”  _ I put it against my lips. 

“Look, I don’t know who you are, but your friend is dead. He’d turned before I got here. I put him out of his misery.” I let go of the button, but no reply came. “Hello?” Still no response. “I don’t know if I’ve gone crazy, but I could have sworn that thing worked. If you’re still there, please give me a sign… cause that would be fucking neat.” I waited for a few minutes, but gave up. It must have been my imagination. I looked around some more when I heard it again. This time, there was no crackling. This time the voice on the radio was clear as day. 

“You need to get out of there now, before you turn into food. There’s a large herd coming towards your horse. Ride to the third house down the road and put him in the garage. I’ll open the gates for you.” 

The voice sounded so familiar, as if though I’d heard it before… I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I didn’t have time to try to remember either. I grabbed the duffle bag off the floor and ran out the door. Straight into the herd. 

“Roger that.” I spoke into the radio in a hushed tone. “What do I call you?” 

“California gun nut.” Oh brother… this was going to be fun. 

 


	10. A ghost from the past

Forgiveness. You know what they say “Forgive and forget”. They usually paint the perfect picture when it comes to that. But it never works like that. It’s not that easy. 

When you do something bad as a kid, you’re taught by your parents to say “sorry”. But it’s up to the person you’re apologizing to whether or not you’re off the hook. Whether or not you’re forgiven. I’ve been apologized to so many times, and yet - it never felt sincere. So eventually, I stopped forgiving them. People say that it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. 

I beg to differ. 

I would say that it’s easier to ask for permission rather than their forgiveness. People generally appreciate it more when you ask them beforehand. 

I was never the forgiving type; never trusted people enough to give them my forgiveness. It seemed pointless. I learned that the hard way, so many times before. 

But there came a time, where I needed to learn to forgive. Forgive, but never forget. 

I’d been raiding a gun store when I’d heard his voice. The one that sounded like gravel against sandpaper. Rough a rugged. And now, thanks to him, I was riding for my life - fearing the huge horde running behind me. I was breaking so many rules right now, trusting somebody blindly, through a radio no less - just because he sounded familiar. 

If I hadn’t recognized the voice, I would have never have followed his instructions. But since I did, I rode towards the third house down the street, noticing the huge barriers. While I was slowing down to throttle, I saw the open gates. They must be close. 

I was breaking rule number 10. - Stranger danger. Pretty basic. 

It’s just like our parents always told us. Don’t get into some strange man’s van, don’t accept candy from strangers, and never follow them anywhere. It was even more paramount in the United States of Zombieland. Although, it’s not like I hadn’t broken this rule before… and look where I had ended up. 

I had stopped just outside, contemplating heading in, when the horde turned the corner - heading straight for me. So against my better judgement, and the warning bells going off in my head, I entered the premise. 

I spotted the garage instantly, dismounting and leading him inside. I was shocked to find yet another horse, in a separate stall, munching down on some hay. I stopped and stared, and it stared back. Had it not been for the situation, I would have probably laugh. 

Instead, I lead my horse into the other box. There, I undid the clasps of the riding gear and put them aside. I grabbed some brushes from the counter and proceeded to gently, but firmly, brush him off. In my peripheral, I saw someone approach, having probably just closed the front gate. 

I didn’t look his way, just kept on brushing as I was speaking. 

“Okay, I don’t know who you are, but if you try anything - you’re dead.” I tried my best to sound menacing, but it was obvious from a mile away that my voice was wobbly. I spun around - 

And the world stopped… 

He was supposed to be dead… and yet. 

“C-clint?” His eyes looked sunken in, and saddened; yet surprised. He was standing right in front of me, after all this time. He was right there. The man whom I had despised for so long was actually standing right in front of me. It was the way his eyes dropped that completed the look. Guilt. He actually looked guilty. 

“Hey, Saki… long time no see.” My nose started twitching in anger. I refused to be scared any longer. No… that time was passé. 

“Clint… where is mom and Anna?” He averted his gaze once again and shook his head. They were gone… they were actually gone. I knew that it was his fault - it had to be. The way he acted must have been the death of them. 

“Alright…” I swallowed my tears. “How did it happen? Did you let them die?” He looked up at me, surprised. With it came anger from my part. I was angry as hell. Just seeing his face made me furious. The way he’d treated Anna, my mother and I- 

I stopped the line of thought, deciding that my gun was too closeby for me not to use it right now. 

“Saki, it’s not that easy…” Him and his shit excuses. I shook my head in anger and started pacing. 

“You’re going to tell me exactly what happened to them within the minute or I’m mounting my horse again and I’ll ride off into the sunset faster than you can say “bottle’s up”. Understood?” He sighed and took a seat on a stool not far from the door. 

“Alright… where to begin?” He chuckled in a sad chime. “It started the day you were leaving for Juvi. After we’d gotten separated on the road, I grabbed your mother and Ana and we ran… Your mother, she…” He took a deep breath. “She was beside herself with grief after losing you… she couldn’t take it any longer. She just stepped right out into the mayhem… and… she just ended it. I shot her before she could turn…” He started sobbing. 

“Well at least you did something right…” I muttered under my breath. You might think that I was being an ass towards this man, but if you really knew what he was like… well… you wouldn’t doubt be anymore. 

“I’m so sorry, Saki… I’m sorry, honey.  For what happened to them.” I looked at him, arms crossed across my chest, and held back the tears. In the back of my mind, I always knew that they were dead. But not Clint, because like I previously stated; Clint is a fucking cockroach. 

“I don’t want your shit excuses, nor your insincere apologies.” I paused, letting a tear fall. But I wiped it away just as quick, refusing to let him see my weakness. “What happened to Ana?” He looked so little, so broken and so shameful from where I was standing. 

“I… I…” He sobbed, something which raked through his entire body. “I don’t know why I did it… she was just so… beautiful.” I stopped my motions. 

“The fuck did you just say? Don’t tell me that you-”  _ No _ . Oh God, please no. But when he looked up, I knew… I just knew what he’d done. 

“I kept her… in the basement… she died from… from blood loss while giving birth.” I couldn’t keep all the emotions in any longer. I bolted straight past him, and emptied my stomach. The spew splattered against the gravel driveway. After what seemed like an eternity of vomiting, I wiped my face from puke and went back inside the garage. Clint was sitting, face in hand, weeping his fucking eyes out. 

I was angry, I was nauseous, but most of all… I was sad. Not only had he violated my sister, but he’d impregnated her as well. He’d kept her in the basement, probably chained up, and then… he’d let her die. 

“Look at me, you sick son of a bitch.” He followed my instructions. “What happened to the baby, Clint?” He shook his head. “So you let it die too.” Then he looked away, burdened by shame. I couldn’t contain my anger any longer. I was just about to punch him when I realized that - if I did, I was stooping to his level. I wasn’t going to let myself sink that low. No. Instead, I put my small hand on his shoulder. His head rose in surprise, eyes puffy and red. 

“You know, you’re a real shitty dad. You’re not even worthy the title. But it’s not just that… you’re a real shitty person too. Sometimes, I wished for you to die. But-” I paused, taking a deep breath through the tears that had fallen. “- you did save my life today, and that’s gotta count for something. I’m grateful that I’m alive. I’m not happy that you were the one who saved me, but let’s just forget about that little detail. Just know this, Clint…” I leaned in close. “Just because you saved my life, doesn’t mean I owe you shit. Let’s just forget about whatever happened to Ana and mom, and call it square. Because, tomorrow when you wake up - I won’t be here. And you won’t try to stop me from leaving. Know, that if you try, I will smite down upon you with righteous anger. I’ll sleep out here tonight, and you won’t even approach this place. Am I making myself clear?” He nodded. He rose, ready to leave, when I stopped him. 

“Do you have any food? Anything would do right now. I’ll make a fire, and we’ll eat… together… out here. Is that alright with you?” He nodded again, but kept his eyes lowered. As if he didn’t dare to meet mine, probably fearing for his life. 

_ Serves him right. _

I let him go, and he quickly retreated into his little rat hole. I exhaled, too exhausted to care about the sadness, and lay down in the hay. Maybe, I let him off easily. But I’d grieved enough for my family. I looked up at the ceiling, convincing myself that somewhere up there, there was a heaven. That my mother, my sister and her child, was looking down on me. 

“I really hope that you found peace. I’ll never forget you guys.” I stopped feeling. I just… shut down for awhile, letting nothingness envelope me like a shroud. I was done with emotions for the time being. 

As I lay there, I thought back to the shit that had happened during these past months. Eight… that’s how many it had been since this had started. Eight fucking months, living in hell. I’d survived, against all odds, longer than most. I’d survived being alone, I’d survived being left behind, and I would survive this. 

Even though it felt as if though God was pissing on me, without the courtesy of even calling it rain. Yup… I was being pissed on by God. 

It took another couple of minutes to regain my composure, until I finally got to my feet; at which point I saw Clint coming down the stairs and back outside. It was starting to get dark out, and I was wondering how long I’d actually been lying there. It didn’t feel that long… 

I grabbed some hay from the pile, grabbed a lighter from the bench and started getting to work on the campfire. He entered the garage, silent as a mouse, and placed the tripod over the fire.

Clint dumped the contents of the can, into a pot and started stirring it around. I, in turn, grabbed a few bowls from the bag he’d been carrying. After it was warm enough, he poured a generous amount for us both. I sat down on a stool and started eating. 

“Was it a boy or a girl?” I finally said when I got fed up with the silence. 

He looked at me, completely puzzled. “A… a girl.” I nodded. 

“What did you name her?” He looked up at me, then he shrugged. Clint still looked sad, battered and broken, but that didn’t matter to me. I was getting angry again, just listening to his shit. “You let her die… without even naming her?” 

I was done with this. I grabbed my shit, started saddling my horse and was just about to mount when a hand on my shoulder stopped me. My hand automatically went out, connecting with his bearded cheek - the sound echoing so loudly that the horse took several, uncertain steps back. 

“You-” I thrust my finger into his chest. “Are an insufferable person! First, you let my mother kill herself. Then, you rape and keep my sister in a basement to die. As if that wasn’t it; as cherry on top of this fucked up cake, you let a little baby die! Your baby!” He stepped back, rubbing his sore cheek. 

“I… I don’t have an excuse for this… I really don’t know what to say…” I snorted in half anger, half shock. 

“You know what? Don’t say shit. It’s easier that way.” 

“I didn’t have time to give her a name.” I seized my actions, pulling my foot out of the stirrups. “She died a few days after she was born. I was out, taking care of the crops, when it happened. I didn’t even realize how long I’d been out there. She died of starvation. I had to kill her. I’m so sorry.” It was the first time that I actually found myself believing this poor fucker. He sounded sincere. So I turned, and looked him straight in the eye. “Look, Saki, I know that what I’ve done to your sister, your mother, the baby, and even to some degree; you… is completely unacceptable. And I know that I’ve done so much wrong by all of you, but I really tried… to change. I know now, that by being alone, I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be… in order not to hurt people. And I know that it was wrong not to name her-” 

“Elizabeth… that’s what you’re going to engrave onto a stone in the morning. I’ll do it myself if I have to, but so help me God; it will be done before I leave! You owe it to me, and to them, to at least give them this much.” Clint nodded. “Where are they buried?” 

“Out in the backyard… right by the cabbage plants.” I finally saw Clint for what he truly was. Someone lead astray, someone wrecked by his son’s death… someone that had once been good. His eyes were sunken and gray, hair in the same shade, and beard growing wildly on his face. I turned back to my horse and started unsaddling him again. 

“Good. Get inside and get some rest… we have a full day’s work ahead of us tomorrow, and I really need to get going after we’re done.” But he didn’t move. Instead he lingered, changing his weight from one leg to the other. “What?” 

“I… I came across a carrier a few days ago. Said he was heading up to New York to join a gang…” I shrugged. 

“So?” 

He took a deep breath. “The leader’s name… is Kizashi… and I think it might be your father.” 

 

**OoOoOoOoO**

 

I couldn’t believe it. The information Clint had shared, really rocked the boat. I wasn’t sure what to believe. Yes, my father was a survivor, but… to believe that he’d made it this far. I wasn’t sure anymore. 

But this didn’t change my plans. I still needed to find Sasuke and the group before I could head anywhere else. I needed to find them… that’s all I knew. 

So, as I was lying here in the hay; trying to get some shuteye, I thought back to all of the wonderful memories from my childhood. It lulled me into an uneasy slumber. 

Unbeknownst to me, at this very moment, a walker was lurking around - just outside the garage. But I wouldn’t find that out until the next morning. Though, that was still eight more hours ahead of schedule. 

 


	11. Home at last

Death… It’s inevitable… unavoidable. You can never escape it, no matter how hard you try. It’s just like with your past - and your destiny. You can’t run, but for quite sometime, you can hide. Because that’s what life really is. And endless string of hiding from shit… You hide from responsibility, you hide from the truth, and you hide from death. 

I could say that I’ve lived mine without any regrets, but then I would just be lying. I could say that I have nothing I wished I could change, but that wouldn’t be true. There’s three certainties in life, that everyone must heed by. 

You are born - you live - you die. 

It’s harsh, and unreasonable, but it’s by design. 

Just as death, there’s something else that you can’t escape; mistakes. You take one wrong step out of place, and someone else suffers. 

Reality is a cruel mistress, but she’s just. This is the way Zombieland works. You can’t know anything for certain, but death; it’s a constant variable. Never fluctuating, never negotiable, and never changing. It’s always there. 

For as long as I could remember since my stepfather started drinking, I’d wished for him to drop dead. When that didn’t happen, I’d given up that hope. In some fucked up way, completely unconsciously, I thought that he was indestructible. But as I’d found out, that fateful summer morning, no one can hide from it forever. 

I wasn’t even looking for him when I’d found the shell of him, lurking around the premise. I was about to greet him with an angry “good morning” when the fucker turned - 

Revealing the blood, the guts, and the gore. He was dead. 

“You didn’t even have the guts to face me again, did you? You sick son of a bitch.” The corpse gurgled, perhaps recognizing my voice. I couldn’t stand watching him like this anymore. For all his faults and wrongdoings, he had still been a person once. Plus, one less walker in the world benefited everybody still alive. 

With one last goodbye, I aimed the gun - and fired. 

It fell to the ground. I looked upon him, remembering what he had been like before all of this. Before his son’s death, before the alcohol, and before the apocalypse. 

The day mom had told me that Ana and I would be getting a new daddy, was one of the happiest days of my childhood. The smile, the charm, the incredible personality, and the warmth. And now… none of that remained. 

I’d gotten used to all of this by now. The death’s, the killing and the mayhem. It was part of my life, not that I wanted it to be… not that I’d ever imagined it to be either. I wasn’t a sociopath; I didn’t find death intriguing, fascinating or sexy. 

I fell to my knees and grabbed his cold, dead hand in mine. The smell of oranges became too dominant. My head whipped up - 

And there he was… 

I rose and started to sprint towards his shape. But instead of crashing into his chest, I went straight through.  _ A ghost? A lie? A figment of my frickin imagination?  _

It was just smoke in funhouse mirrors. An illusion, made by my brain. I missed him so much that my mind had made up a way to cope with the pain… with the feelings. 

I chuckled in exasperation. “You’re not even here.” 

He just smirked. “You’re so beautiful, you know that? So cute.” His voice was like I remembered it. Smooth and silky, drawing me in. “I’m sorry, Princess… I wish I was. I really do…” I snorted in response. 

“Yeah… but you’re not. And it’s all her fault. Tenten is the one who put me in this situation… and now there’s no getting out. I’m stuck in this fucking nightmare, thanks to that bitch.” He didn’t speak, just listened. “Look, I don’t even know why I’m talking to you. You’re just something my mind made up, to cope with the stress.” 

Sasuke shrugged. “I might not be here in person, but you know that I’m always with you.” I closed my eyes, to regain my sanity, but when I opened them again - he was gone. Just like the wind, he’d swept in, and moved on. 

I cursed my luck, realizing that everything felt hopeless. What if he’d died? What if he really was a ghost? What if he’d moved on? What if they’d all forgotten about me? I had so many questions, but no more answers. I was so frustrated, void of any sort of solution. But I had a plan to find out. So I stood, tall, strong and fierce; determination oozing from every pore of my body. 

I couldn’t stand around and wait any longer. My brain went into auto-mode, my legs carrying me towards the main house. My hand instinctively reached for my gun, pulling it out of the holster. This time, I wasn’t taking any chances. I still had a task to complete, but I wasn’t going to let it kill me. 

Outside the window, the sun had been clouded in a thick layer of fog. I cursed my luck as the entire house went dark. 

I pressed the button on the wall, thinking it might be the light switch. 

Close, but no cigar… actually, not even close at all. 

There was just something about me and setting off every alarm in the place. They just hated me. 

“Yeah, well I don’t fucking like you either, you loud son of a bitch.” Luckily, it was just an inhouse one, set to send out small bursts of noise to alert the owner of the house, and not the entire frickin neighborhood. 

I scouted the area quickly, and found the real light switch. 

“Let there be light.” The house looked safe, thank the Gods. Though knowing Clint, I wasn’t going to put all of my pennies into one pot. There might still be something I was missing; some blind spot in his security system. 

I kept on looking, but to my genuine surprise, the place really was secure. I started thinking about what to do next. Ultimately, I opted against bringing the horse with me to Konoha. While fast, and a magnificent animal, caring for him would just be a bitch. Besides… there was enough hay here to last for a year or two. If I just let him walk freely in the yard, he’d be fine. And if I left the door to the garage open, there would be enough shelter for him to survive for a long time. That and the automatic water fountains for the horses would provide something to drink. 

So in the end, the two horses could live here in harmony together, while I returned to my quest. They were pack animals anyway… and I didn’t have the resources to bring a 750 pound beast with me on my travels. 

Nope; that would go against rule 11. 

Always travel light! And I don’t mean just luggage. Anything living could just as easily get in your way… well… most of the time. 

I walked around some more, noticing the faucet. I opened it up and cringed at the brown water. But eventually, it turned to its normal, clear state. I pulled a glass out of the cupboard and drank. 

When I was done, I placed it in the sink. Then I went back to the task at hand. I started snooping around, not really sure what I was looking for. Up the stairs, there was a bathroom, three bedrooms and a storage room. On the ground level, a kitchen, a livingroom and a dining hall… and another bathroom. 

In the mirror, I found medecine I could have great use for a little ways down the road; should anything happen. Antibiotics, penicillin, aspirin, you name it. I picked through the drawers, cupboards and the fridge in the kitchen, finding a lot of necessities. Dried food, beef jerky and a couple of bottles of whiskey. Probably all that the leach ever lived on. I grabbed some of the jerky and ate it. 

I sat down - and waited for the fog to pass.

 

**OoOoOoOoO**

 

So… I’ve never liked basements. Even before walkers were chewing on people like Halloween candy, they always creeped me out. So with weary steps, I treaded down the stair carefully, trying to calculate every possible outcome. 

The fog still hadn’t let up, so going outside to engrave the stones still wasn’t an option. However, snooping around the rest of the house was still a viable option. Though I was sincerely starting to regret it. 

I opened the door - and quickly dashed to the side when something launched at me. 

I lost my footing, and fell to the floor. When I looked up, my entire brain froze to ice. On the opposite side of the room was a naked walker, strapped to a chain. But not just any walker… no… it was my sister. 

_ The fucker had lied to me. _

He used her like a watchdog. Had he not already been so very dead, he would have met the same fate as my sister. I raised my gun, ready to put her out of her misery. But just as I was about to pull the trigger, I realized that I couldn’t do it. This was still my sister, minus a few teeth and basic social skills. I started recalling the most trivial things about her. Her smile, the way her hair smelled and the motherly air around her. All those memories were replaced by this one. Instead of killing her, I pulled out the bag of remaining jerky and threw it her way. She caught it and tore it open, eating the contents in one quick gulp. In the meantime, I quickly slipped past her, deeper into the basement. 

Nothing there but a few pieces of furniture. A small couch, some plants that had long since withered and a dirty mattress where she’d probably spent the last remaining months of her life; sleeping on. 

But there was nothing else of use. 

So what did he need her to guard? Why keep her in this state at all if there was nothing to keep safe? On the table in the corner; lay the answer. 

“Our family photo’s? You were guarding this?” I quickly skimmed through it, flipping page by page, smiling widely. While I was still in mourning, this gave me that little bit of sunshine that I had missed. A small glimmer of hope through the dark times ahead. 

I grabbed one of the pictures from the album, and put it on a shelf. 

Now came the hard part. I couldn’t just let her stay here, in this state. I needed to do this. With a heavy heart, and heavier bones, I retreated back up the stairs. She was just eyeing me, staring back with her green orbs. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. 

So I reached in, embraced her one last time and ended it with a kiss of my gun. She fell to the floor, together with my tears. 

I didn’t have time to grieve her loss, not again, so I flung her over my shoulder - and convinced myself that she was just another notch in my belt. It was too much for my tired brain to process, so I let it brew a little… until I could handle it again. 

I exited the house, body thrown over my shoulder, and stepped into the warm summer sun. I found a spade, and started digging a hole next to a cross in the ground. Sweat was running down my forehead, but I didn’t bother to wipe it off. It didn’t matter now. 

After forty minutes of digging, the hole was finally big enough for my sister to rest in. So I put her down. Finally - she was at peace. 

I started my search for a stone big enough to be visible, but small enough for me to carry. When I’d found one that suited my needs, I started the tireless work of engraving. In the stalls, the horses were happily communicating with each other, oblivious to the workings of the human outside. I stopped, eyed my work, and smiled through the tears. 

“I really don’t know what to say, Ana. I suppose… if you’re listening, I just wanted to say that I love you and that I’m sorry that I went away… that we were separated. I shouldn’t have left you with Clint like that. I was just…” I paused. “When they sent me away, I was completely powerless. I couldn’t do anything about it. I know that I should have returned home earlier, but what was the point? I wouldn’t have found you there either way… I’m not going to do this anymore, Ana. Feel guilty. Because as much as I believe it, I know; somewhere deep inside of me, that this wasn’t my fault. I’m going to mourn, but instead of being sad that you’re gone, I’m going to remember the happy times. I’m going to remember our life together. And I’m going to honor your memory, not by sully it with tears, but to laugh when I think of you. I hope that I’ll see you again some day… and that I finally get to meet my niece. Be at peace, dear sister.” 

I stood up and wiped some stubborn tears from my chin. I had been crying a lot lately, for someone who’d vowed to never do so again. But since the whole affair with Tenten, the pain had just been too great to process. So instead of vowing to not cry again, I made a promise to myself to do… to let it out, but only when I really needed it. I grabbed my bags, walked into the garage to let the horses roam free, closing no door behind me for once. Because it’s not true what they say;

When one door opens - another closes. 

No… because when one door opens, it welcomes you into a whole new universe filled with wonders. 

So I left that day, a new sense of clarity fresh in my mind, heading for home… 

Towards Konoha. 

 

**OoOoOoOoO**

 

Dust. That was all that remained of the once great city. Houses were burnt, broken and uninhabitable, the pavement cracked underneath my tired feet. 

I fell down to my knees, the pain of realization too great of a burden on my small shoulders. I was too late… my time and my luck had all but run dry. The first raindrops felt like ice against my skin, forcing me to see reality. It was as if though somebody was weeping for me in heaven. I hadn’t seen the rain for quite some time, had all but forgotten the feeling of it against my skin. For awhile I sat, in the heavy rain, not sure of what to do. 

I got up, admitting defeat. 

“Sakura?”  _ I know that voice. _ I had heard it so many times, in my dreams. I had heard it earlier, on the farm. I knew who it was. But I was sceptical. I turned around slowly, defeat clear in my eyes, not sure if he was real or not. His hands went up to his mouth and tears began falling from his eyes. I’d never seen him cry before. In my dreams, he always seemed so stoic, so unapproachable. This was real… he was really there. 

“Sasuke?” I said in a voice, too raspy to be my own. He nodded through his tears, smiling widely. I stood, frozen to the ground. I started running towards him, crashing into his chest. His arms flew around me, shielding me from any danger out there. His hand reached into my hair, and tilted my head backwards. 

When his lips met mine, it was as if the heaven’s opened up. The taste of oranges brought back so many memories, it left me frozen in time - unsure of which universe I had stepped into. When I retold this story to anyone who listened over the years, I always recounted this as my real first kiss. 

I never wanted it to end, but we were both soon in need of air. He was the first one to pull back. He laughed and cried at the same time. 

“I thought you died… You left me behind.” I said in a sad voice. Tears were now also streaming down my face. He shook his head and looked at me; as if though I was the only thing that mattered to him in this world. 

“I tried going back for you, but… you were gone.” I nodded. 

“I tried going after you… I guess we must have run straight past each other.” He chuckled. 

“Yeah…” He took a deep breath, and chuckled again, deep in disbelief that I was actually standing right in front of him. “No more running, okay?” 

“No more running.” I replied. 

In that moment, I felt truly at peace again. It was as if the apocalypse had never happened. But as you now know, it did happen. And it brought me the one good thing I could always depend on. Because without it, I would have never found Sasuke. And without him, I would have never found myself. I would have never have lived life to the fullest - never become whole again. Somewhere in the background, someone was shouting. Soon enough, I was buried in a mountain of people, embracing me in their arms. I choked up, crying my eyes out. Right now, that didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered, because I was home. Home at last. 


	12. In his arms

Reunions. Oh Lord and Almighty above, how I loathed reunions. At least before all of this. I always thought of myself as a loner without any real friends, or anyone to love. Reuniting with your family, and your relatives, was always a stiff affair filled with awkward small talk and enough booze to knock Bigfoot unconscious. 

But now, I had found a new appreciation for them. Because now, I had someone to lean on, something to cherish. I had been abandoned by my parents, and sent of to Juvi, just because they thought of me as a trouble child. Truth be told, all I really needed back then - was some love. After the virus had taken ahold of the world, I’d been left to fend for myself. And after I’d met Sasuke, I’d once again been left behind. 

Realization; God hated me. 

But they weren’t the only ones to blame. I wasn’t the cleanest plate in the cupboard either. I had left people behind as well. Shikamaru, Gaara, Clint, Ana, my mother. And while I could have done nothing to save the brunet with a pineapple haircut, I still felt responsible. Not that it mattered now though. 

Right now I was safely kept - in the arms of an angel in disguise. 

Okay - that was extremely cheesy, but you get my point. 

Sasuke held onto me as if though I was air, ready to escape his embrace at any second. 

Finding my way back to them had been hard, and filled with obstacles, but I’d made it. I was safe now. Growing up, my mother always used to tell me that when you really miss someone and meet them again after a really long time; something is awakened within you. As if nothing else mattered in that moment. I realized that it was true now, months after her passing. 

As we broke apart, my smile turned into a hard glare. I stared them straight in the eye, glaring deep into their souls. 

_ Seven people. _

“Where’s Tenten? And Neji?” People looked away, averting their gaze. But Kakashi stood steadfast, reaching out. 

“You should come with us to the camp. There’s some things you need to hear.” 

 

**OoOoOoOoO**

 

“I can’t fucking believe it! It’s really you!” Naruto tried throwing his arms around me, but I quickly deflected. He instead flew, face first, into Kakashi’s chest. The older man just brushed him off. When he went in for another hug, I grabbed his arm; staring in disbelief at the sling. 

“What the fuck happened to you, you idiot?” He scratched his neck, laughed and gave me one of his ridiculous grins. 

“I sort of… ehem… tripped, during a get-away. Knocked my arm straight out of its socket. Happened about three weeks ago.” I nodded and he successfully managed to hug me this time. 

“Stupid idiot.” While it wasn’t as severe as I’d initially thought, it was still close to breaking rule number 12. 

Amputations? No thanks! 

Even though it might just state amputations, it actually includes a lot more. Any basic injury involving a casks or a sling might get in the way when you really don’t want it to. 

I shook my head at his stupidity and let go of the man. Then I sat down on a log next to the fireplace. 

“It’s good to see you again.” Kakashi said. “I never thought we would. We went back for you, but you were long gone… and so was Shikamaru.” He tried catching my attention, which he got in the form of an angry glare. “What happened to him?” 

I swallowed and looked from person to person, shaking my head. “He didn’t even make it far enough to escape the parking lot.” My anger bubbled right up to the surface and I threw my bag onto the ground. “He probably thought what I was thinking! That you were just fucking taking a piss at us or something. But you left! Tenten pushed me out of the car! And you just kept on driving! You - left - us - behind!” I didn’t care that I was yelling. No… they needed to hear my anger… needed to understand what they’d done wrong. 

“Sakura, calm down. There was nothing that we could have done. The moment Tenten entered the car, Neji locked the doors and drove off. We didn’t-” I cut him off. 

“I don’t care for you excuses! Where are they? I’m going to kill them! You hear me!? I’m going to-” 

“Sakura!” Sasuke’s shout brought me down from my high. His stoic face turned soft as I stopped yelling. “Sit down; you need to hear the entire story.” I did as I was told, keeping my face in check. They all gathered around, bringing fresh food. I didn’t touch mine… couldn’t bring myself to eat right now. 

Once everyone was seated on the bench, Sasuke resumed. “As I was saying before; Neji locked the doors behind Tenten. Kakashi pleaded with the guy to unlock them, but Neji just wouldn’t listen. He just kept on driving. When we finally reached the nearest town, he kicked us out and stole all of our stuff.” Kakashi finished the rest of the tale. 

“They’d dropped us off in a town called Oto. We barely escaped by the skin of our teeth. Apparently, it’s run by a raider gang. We set up camp right outside on their doorstep, and when night fell; we snuck in. Grabbed whatever we needed and bolted. But Sasuke left something behind.” I looked him in the eye. He was slumped forward, fingers intertwined with a deep thinking look plastered all over his face. 

“My katana, and my dog tag. Both of which had my name on them. I couldn’t leave them behind… so we had to…” He was dreading to say what I had already figured out. 

“You killed them…”

“We had to. Listen, if they-” 

I cut him off. “Good riddance. Raider gangs are the worst. They deserved it.” He blinked through the shock. 

“Yeah.” 

Kakashi cleared his throat. “Afterwards, we came here. Sasuke said that we should wait - until you returned. We made a pretty decent shelter here. A college has it all. Cafeteria, rooms, security measures; you name it. It was actually Naruto’s idea - if you can believe it.” He muttered the last part quietly. I cocked an eyebrow. Was this idiot secretly a genius? 

“Believe it! Man, Teme’s been out every day looking for you. Though I figured that you might have headed for Shadow Island.” I take it back… he was dumber than a bag of door knobs. 

Sasuke snorted. “You’re the idiot of the group, Dobe. Of course she wouldn’t head to an island infested by walkers. That’s your reaction when this happens to you.” 

Naruto started laughing. “I know right… Wait… what?” He yelped, realizing only now what Sasuke had said. And I couldn’t help but to giggle. It was short, but it was sincere. For so long, I’d been sad. I’d been broken, beaten down and depressed.

But now, I was finally back. I was finally me again. 

I picked up the food that I had neglected, chomping down on it whilst deep in thought. There was something that just nagged me. What Clint had told me, about my real dad, it couldn’t be true… right? Or was he actually still out there, in New York, fighting for his life? 

New York… it wasn’t far from here. 

“Sakura.” My head shot up. “Are you listening?” I nodded. 

“Yeah, sure.” 

“Great! Now, as I was saying…” I tuned out Naruto’s voice, finishing my meal in silence. I just couldn’t be bothered. Too many thoughts were jumbled into my head already. It was too crowded. 

After the meal, Sasuke dragged me aside for some one on one. 

“What’s this about, Sakura?” I shook my head. “Come one, talk to me.” I laughed a little bit. I leaned my head against the wall, seeing him do the same. 

“I… I bumped into someone on my way here. Someone from my past.” He nodded, listening intensly. “My step-dad. He…” I laughed through the strange sadness that had grabbed ahold of me. “He was the most horrific human being you could ever imagine. Abusive, lying, slimy, sick son of bitch. He used to beat my mom, my sister and I for sports. Clint told me about what happened to my family after the virus spread; about what he did to my sister. My mother killed herself shortly after I went missing. But my sister…” I took a deep breath. 

“What did he do to her?” 

I shook my head. “He kept her in the basement. Raped her, starved her and impregnated her. And then, after she died giving birth, he kept her, like a guard dog to the basement door.” Sasuke’s eyes clouded over with anger, and he spoke through gritted teeth. 

“Where is he?” 

“Dead… turned into a walker. I think the guilt of seeing me again was finally too much for the poor fucker. Killed himself, if I had to guess…” He tried hugging me, but I stepped back. “Look, I don’t want your pity. Nor do I want your condolences. I’m done crying over this. I’m done mourning.” 

He nodded, but still embraced me. “I’m not trying to console you, Princess. I’m just happy that you’re here.” Sasuke kissed the top of my head and lead me towards a room. In it, a single bed neatly pushed up against the wall. Above it hung flags in different colors, probably having something to do with the college itself. 

Though I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t old enough to attend, even before Zombieland happened. I was just a scared little sixteen year old with doey eyes and wanderlust in my soul. I eyed Sasuke again, remembering that I’d never actually asked his age. 

I suddenly became flustered. What if he wanted to more than just snuggle tonight? I wasn’t ready for anything like that. 

I kept looking up and down.  _ Thirty?  _ No… he must be younger. Right? Then again, age is just a number. And… jail was just a room. But we were in the middle of an apocalypse. Such trivial things as government and law no longer existed. 

I laid down, next to him, and snuggled up close. He kissed the top of my head, lulling me into slumber. My dreams were not sunshine and daisies that night. No… it was total mayhem. Above me, the sky was painted red. Underneath my feet, the sick crackling of ashes assaulted my ears with their insulting sound. A small wind hit my face, carrying with it; a whisper. 

_ “Sakura”  _ Ana was calling for me.  _ “Sakura, why? Why did you abandon me?”  _ I looked around, desperately calling out; trying to find her. But she was nowhere and everywhere at once. She was shrouding me in a cloak of guilt and despair. Soon, I found myself screaming at the top of my lungs - begging for her to take me with her. To end my misery, as I had done with hers. 

I woke up at the sound of myself screaming. Someone was shaking me, trying to wake me. My eyes flew open and I stared into Sasuke’s black orbs. 

“Easy there, Princess… easy. I’m right here.” I stopped struggling and relaxed at the feeling of his tender caress. He pulled me close to his chest. “Damn… you startled the hell out of me, you know that?” 

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to.” He kissed my tender lips, bringing a taste of oranges. His hands drew circles on my waist. I pushed him away slightly. “I don’t… I don’t think that I’m ready for anything like that just yet.” 

He nodded in understanding. “I get it. I won’t pressure you into anything.” 

“Thanks… but it’s not just that.” He furrowed his brows, asking me a silent question. “I know that laws from before don’t exactly apply any longer, but… I’m still a minor.” He chuckled. 

“Alright… now I’m feeling like a total creep. So… ehm… how old are you?” It looked so cute, when he blushed. I stroked his cheek. 

“Sixteen.” It grew silent. I cleared my dry throat. “How long has it been since you were considered a minor?” 

He cocked an eyebrow, stroking my arm. “Is that your subtle way of asking me how old I am?” I nodded, turning away. “Twenty two.” 

I nodded. “So what did you do? Before all of this?” 

“I joined the army straight out of high school. Actually had a scholarship for this college. But I was never one for studies. I’m more of a doer.” He kissed my lips. “How are you doing?” 

“Better. Things are just a little bit confusing right now. I just found you guys, after all this time. This feeling; it’s overwhelming. Besides - I have a hard time trusting people and after the business with Tenten and Neji… well…” He nodded in understanding. “I-I want to trust you fully, Sasuke. But I just can’t.” 

“I get it. I have a hard time trusting people as well.” 

“Yeah… and, I do want to… ehm… you know… make love to you one day, but tonight is not that night.” He started laughing. “What?” 

“You’re as red as a tomato.” 

“Oh fuck you, man.” He laughed, dipped down and kissed me one last time before going back to sleep. 

“One day, Sakura. I’m gonna hold you to those words.” The night ended in furious giggling, both of us just so happy to have found each other again. It finally felt like home… I was where I belonged. Home in his arms. 

 


	13. Love will set you free

Love. It’s amongst the greatest feelings in the world. It can make you feel as if though you’re floating ten feet above ground - or ten feet under. The most painful experience when it comes to love; is letting go. 

“If you love them, let them go.” Bullshit, I say. Is it really that easy? To let go? No… like forgiveness; it takes time. The healing afterwards, is the hardest fight you’ve yet to fight. So what do you do in a situation when you have to let go? 

You bargain with death. You ask for just one more moment of peace before they’re gone. You try like hell… you plead, and you beg, you cry and you moan. 

Some people claim that God never sends you more than you can handle. I say; fuck those eggheads. Some people end their lives because the weight of the world is too much to bare. God, if he exist, is an ass with a serious case of megalomania. Slaughtering the creatures he creates. A true sociopath. God doesn’t love us - or he wouldn’t have turned his back on mankind. 

Love… 

That’s why I was laying here, dying yet again. 

Letting go can be just as painful as hanging on. But life is short, and to cling to a lost cause is just folly.

I was one hundred percent certain that I was going to die that day. But I can’t really blame him; he only saw part of the truth. He only got some of the facts. 

_ “Sasuke! We can’t keep letting her suffer like this. She’ll come back as one of them, you know this! Deep inside, you know that what I’m saying is true. Please, just have some mercy!”  _

_ “What the fuck do you know about mercy!? I love her, I won’t just turn my back on her like that! I won’t let go!”  _

_ “Sasuke, please see this rationally! We’ve all lost someone. At some point we had to let go.”  _

_ “I am the leader of this group! My word is your law! I’m not letting go until she’s actually gone, end of discussion!”  _

But that’s just part of it. Because what happened during that week was far more complex than can be reiterated with a few lines of dialogue. So let me take you back to when it all started. To when it began - the tale of why I was lying here; dying. 

_ One week earlier _

Waking up next to the man you love is the very face of happiness. It felt as if though I’d downed a whole bottle of champagne as was now silly drunk. I felt like giggling, perhaps even laugh until I was pissing myself… but I settled for a small smile. 

Laying in his arms, with my face nuzzled into his neck, I grinned. The warm feeling you get inside your chest is unlike any other. The feeling of complete and utter peace. The feeling of home. 

Sasuke was still sleeping - or at least that’s what he wanted me to believe. I knew that he was just resting his eyes, waiting me to wake from my slumber. So I kissed his bared neck, waiting for his response. 

“Hn.” He replied with a smirk and a giggle. “I see that you’re finally awake, sleepyhead.” I took a deep whiff, letting his smell flood my senses. “You know that that can’t get you high, right?” I laughed. 

“It so can! My own kind of high.” He kissed my forehead, carefully stroked some hairs out of place and kissed it again. 

“I really don’t want to leave our bubble, but Kakashi is waiting for us.” I cocked an eyebrow. 

“What? And how do you know that? Did he tell you telepathically?” Sasuke shook his head and snorted. 

“Of course not. He was in here an hour ago. Said that there’s a briefing in the kitchen. He let us sleep in for once… looked like you really needed it.” He handed me my jumper, and I offered him a clean t-shirt from his pack.

He was rummaging through another bag a few minutes later. When he’d gone through it for the fifth time, I stopped my morning routine. 

“Okay, seriously, dude. What are you looking for?” He frowned deeply. 

“I lost my gun a while back during a raid. I’m looking for my blade, but it seems that it has developed feet.” By my rough estimations, it wasn’t the only thing missing out of their supplies. They were running dangerously close to the trouble zone, which coincidentally was my thirteenth rule for surviving Zombieland. 

Stay  _ out  _ of the trouble zone. 

It consists of pretty simple things - but it’s a rule often overlooked by some. Shelter, food, water and protection. If one of these things “develop feet” as my stubborn headed boyfriend refers to it as; you might as well pack your things, say “goodbye” to the living and a big jolly “hello” to the glorious dead. 

Of course, it won’t hurt you to live without it for a day or two, but soon enough; you’re going to need it. It was in these moments that I was grateful for my rules. Had Sasuke and the others followed it, they wouldn’t be in this predicament. 

I sighed, finished brushing my hair and strolled over to my own bag. I pulled out the .44 magnum and handed it over. At first, he just stared at it, but then that gaze turned to me. 

“Where did you get it?” He checked the balance, the ammo and the grip. 

“It’s a really long story. I’ll tell you all about it one day.” I knew he wanted to ask more, but he refrained from it. 

“Listen, we better get going. Kakashi might start getting all these crazy ideas if we don’t.” I raised my brow.  _ As if Kakashi hasn’t already gotten those ideas before _ . He probably already had a pretty nice picture painted in that porn addled brain of his. 

“Yeah, I bet. Let’s get going then.” Sasuke grabbed my hand, taking it in his own. We strolled down the corridor towards the common room. Kakashi was playing pool against Yamato. Naruto was rummaging through both cabinets and drawers, searching for God knows what. Probably Narnia. Sai and Ino were standing by the door, chatting idly. Hinata was seated on the couch, nose deep in a book. Ironically, also Narnia. 

Yamato looked up at Kakashi. “See, I told you that we wouldn’t have time to finish playing until they showed up…” He put the cue down and walked over to the white haired man. “Didn’t I?” Those creepy mother fucking eyes scared even Kakashi.  _ Sure haven’t missed those. _ Kakashi walked away, grabbing some papers on the counter, spreading them out on the pool table. 

“Now that we’re all here, let’s get started.” He took a deep breath and let out a sigh. “So far we’ve cleared the common areas of the dorms. Good news; this place is secure. Not one single walker so far. Bad news; There’s nothing of value here either. Seems that somebody’s already cleared it out. We’re still running low on food, medication, ammo, guns and water. While you were sleeping, we managed to solve three out of five, so that’s a plus…” 

“Okay, so what’s solved and how?” Sasuke asked sternly, crossing his arms. 

“We solved the food problem pretty quickly. There’s a cafeteria in the other building; might still have something useful. If not, then there’s still the supermarket a few blocks away - not making any promises though.” Sasuke nodded. “We could have somebody do a run with a couple of plastic water containers. There’s a pond two blocks away. All we need is a car.”

“And what’s the third?” 

“Medicine. Turns out that Naruto had just placed all our supplies in a different bag.” We all eyed him with a strong annoyance. He laughed nervously, scratched the back of his head and closed his eyes tightly. 

“Yeah, sorry about that, guys.” 

Sasuke turned everyone’s attention away from the blond. “Alright, the way I see it; we’re plugging leaks in a dam with bubblegum. These problems are not exactly solved - they’re just postponed.” Kakashi raised his hand, waving it. 

“I know, and I agree with you. Sadly, we can only do so much with these things. Food and water are consumables; they run out constantly. So does medicine and ammo.” Sasuke shook his head. 

“I understand. It was just an observation. I think that we should focus on the two remaining problems.” He paused for a second, trying to recall some information. “Guns and ammo. How do we get that? I thought that you and Naruto already raided the police station. You said that there were no guns left… so where does that leave us? Square one?” 

Kakashi pulled out a map and spread it out for everyone to see. “Not exactly. Square one and a half, I’d say. There’s a homeowner down the street; over there-” He pointed to the house of the map and looked up. “When we were at the police station, I started to look through some records. This guy was a felon and a pretty nasty one at that. Assault, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of stolen goods, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, parole violation - the list goes on. His rap sheet probably has more pages than the Bible. On the last page was a transcript stating that the police suspected that he had a small arsenal in his residence. They were going to raid the place a week after the virus spread. It’s our safest bet right now. And what’s the harm? If he doesn’t have anything of use, the only thing we would have wasted is a day’s trip back and forth.” 

I looked at him. “This guy most definitely has guns. A shit ton of them.” 

“How do you know?” Sasuke asked. 

“Because I’ve seen them. I know that place like the back of my hand. The owner’s name is Orville Tanner. Sure, the guy’s a felon and a pretty skeevy shitstain, but he was always nice to me and Ana.” Naruto raised a brow. 

“Wait, I’m confused. How do you know this guy?” I took a deep breath. 

“He used to babysit us. He’s sort of… sort of my uncle.” It looked as if though they all wanted to say something, but I stopped them. “Look, I’m not in the mood for answering questions. Let’s just assume that I know what I’m talking about. Alright?” They all nodded, and I took Kakashi’s place. “The house is surrounded by a top notch security system. No one can penetrate it, and without electricity, the system is on a lockdown.” 

Sai smiled. “That’s good, right?” 

Sasuke shook his head and put his hand to his chin. “No… not necessarily. Most security systems have a deadbolt fail safe. In case of a blackout… the gate shuts tight and doesn’t open. Am I right?” I nodded. 

“Yeah, but that’s the thing. I know another way on. There’s a tree in the garden right next to his. I used to play in it when I was a kid. Mrs. Kuzmenko had a kid around my age and we always used to hang out. We climbed that tree a thousand times. If it’s still standing, then why not try that approach instead? Might be safer.” Kakashi and Sasuke shared a look. 

“There’s only one problem.” Yamato spoke up. “The last time me and Naruto scoped out the place, there was no tree. The wind must have knocked it down. And what’s worse - there’s no gap in the fence big enough for us to get through.” We all stood around, talking back and forth, when I suddenly remembered something Orville had once told me. 

“I know another way…” Everyone stopped talked and looked at me. “But you’re not going to like it…” 

 

**OoOoOoOoO**

 

Paranoid people. The world used to crawl with them. My uncle had been one of them, partially the reason why I had become one as well. So, that’s what lead Sasuke, Naruto, Ino and I to crawl through a dirt tunnel, straight into Orville’s basement.  _ Oh happy day _ . Luckily, Naruto had removed the sling before we’d left, but his arm was still a little bit weak. 

“Tell me again how you knew about the tunnel.” I sighed for the umpteenth time, cursing Naruto and his short term memory. 

“Look, Uncle Orville was nuts, okay? He had this tunnel built in secret, in case he ever needed a quick escape for one reason or the other. He never got to use it, but he always took great comfort in knowing that it was there… you know… like fat pants.” They all stopped in their tracks, turning to me with questioning faces. “What? You keep them around just in case, but pray to God that you never have to use them.” 

“Saki, how many times do I have to tell you-” I cut Sasuke off. 

“-to not take the Lord’s name in vain, I know, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” We reached the door to the tunnel, and I quickly punched in the code. We stepped through, expecting a barrage of traps to go off, but were surprised when nothing happened. As Naruto, who was the last in the line, stepped through the door; something fell. 

Something heavy. 

Straight onto a pressure plate. 

Another door to our right, opened up. And out flew a doussin walkers - hungry and ready for the kill. Ino didn’t have the courage to face the storm, so she ran back the way we came. The door shut, and bolted, behind her… leaving us trapped. 

So we did what any sensible people in our position would do. We started fighting. 

While Sasuke was fighting a particularly brutal walker, another proceeded to sneak up behind him. The only thing that ran through my mind was my immunity. I didn’t even think it through. I just ran up to him, threw myself between the two and managed to throw it off. But of course, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. While it was falling, it managed to grab ahold of my outstretched arm… and out came the fangs. 

The walker sunk its teeth down in the exact same spot as my previous bite, concealing it. I screamed in pain, shooting it in the head twice for good measure. With it, the final lurker was dealt with. 

Sasuke was standing there, next to me, in complete shock. His face had fear written all over it. I understood why. He thought that I was going to die. But before I could explain, something hard hit me over the head and I blacked out. 

And so here I was… dying. Waiting for my destiny to unfold. For the inevitable to happen. For the moment that Sasuke ultimately lost the fight and let them “end my suffering”. I was in and out of consciousness, listening to their fights for what seemed like an eternity. 

“Sasuke! We can’t keep letting her suffer like this. She’ll come back as one of them, you know this! Deep inside, you know that what I’m saying is true. Please, just have some mercy!” Kakashi tried to argue. But Sasuke was always the stubborn one. 

“What the fuck do you know about mercy!? I love her, I won’t just turn my back on her like that! I won’t let go!” 

“Sasuke, please see this rationally! We’ve all lost someone. At some point we had to let go.” Kakashi continued, attempting to sound more stern. But his voice just sounded wavering and uncertain, almost as if though he was afraid.  

“I am the leader of this group! My word is your law! I’m not letting go until she’s actually gone, end of discussion!” He paused, sounding sadder the next time he spoke. “A-after that… I’ll take care of it myself. Just leave.” They were at an impasse. Nothing was spoken after that. And so here I lay, on the brink of death, tipping towards the land of the living. 

Memories were starting to flood my senses, overcrowding anything from the outside. Suddenly, I wasn’t sixteen anymore… 

No… I was a kid. 

_ “Honey… This is Clint. He’s going to be your new daddy.”  _ I was outside, looking in. Into a memory… to something that had happened so many years ago. 

_ “I thought that daddy was my dad. Where is he?”  _ She looked over to Clint, as if asking him what to say. He kneeled down, looking straight into my eyes. 

_ “Hello, Sakura. My name is Clint. Your dad is still your dad, but you know… you’re a really lucky girl. You get to have two dads. Isn’t that great?”  _ I remembered that moment, as if though it was still happening. I looked down, seeing my hands. The hands of someone who sure as hell wasn’t a kid. 

I really was watching this from my own body, like a ghost watching over the living. Tears started falling.

_ “I guess…”  _ I saw myself reply.  _ “Are you a good dad?”  _ He laughed. 

_ “Like you wouldn’t believe. I have a son.”  _ Clint paused, and I dreaded what was coming next.  _ “When your mother and I get married, you get to wear a cute little dress. And your mother wants you to be the flower girl. Doesn’t that sound nice?”  _

From the second I met Clint, I knew that he would make a great dad. Sadly, I was too naïve back then. I didn’t understand the way of the world yet. I was too blind to see. I trusted him.

And he betrayed me. 

I slowly started waking, opening my tired eyes. But they felt too heavy. All I could see was the darkness. Maybe… I just wasn’t ready to wake up yet. 

I closed them again, falling back into sweet oblivion. My thoughts turned darker. 

I saw it happen, but I could do nothing but stand back and watch. He grasped the scotch bottle hard, as if he never wanted to let go. His eyes were shut tightly, refusing to open them to the reality. 

His son was dead. 

He took another sip and shivered at the sensation. So warm, yet so damn cold inside. That’s what he’d described it as. 

He didn’t want to think about it any longer, didn’t want to remember or face the hard truth. Clint just wanted to drink until he passed out. He just wanted to wake up to nothingness. Had I not gotten in his way, he probably would have. But… I didn’t want my new daddy to be sad. 

I was ten… and just like any other ten year old, I wanted to comfort my father. I threw my arms out, around his neck, and gave him the biggest hug that I could muster. Instead to hugging me back, the way he always did back then, he flared up. 

I turned my face away, knowing exactly what was going to happen next. 

One moment, I was hugging Clint, and the next - I was on the floor, getting kicked by him. He said nothing, just kept on kicking. I wanted to turn my face and look at him, to stop him… but I couldn’t. I was no longer the strong young woman I had grown into… no… right now, I was a scared little girl. He’d become a monster, right in front of my eyes. Without another word…

He left. 

I briefly woke up, feeling someone stroking my hair. Something wet hit my face. 

“Please… God… I beg you… give her back to me… All of my prayers… my soul… take it all… just let her live.” It was Sasuke. He started whimpering. “Please… I love her… She’s my everything. Give her back.” 

It gave me a sudden flashback. 

_ “Please… No… please, dear God… Don’t take her away from me… She’s all I have. _ ” I was sitting in the wardrobe, my dying mother in my arms. Her blood stained my white shirt, but in that moment - I didn’t care. I still don’t understand while I’d worn that shirt… but after that day, I could never look at it the same way again. 

She was dying. Her blood was pooling all around us. And I was too scared to call the ambulance. I was so scared that there would be cops with questions. Because in that moment - I really had no possible answer. 

I started ripping up my shirt, binding her open wounds. Luckily for me, they stopped bleeding and all that remained was angry red stripes from the knife. I changed those bindings every day for a week, watching my mother slip with every passing day. 

But I never gave up on her. She was all I had. But when she woke up on the eve of the seventh night, asking for Clint… well… something broke inside of me that day. I begged her, pleaded to the strong, courageous woman that she’d once been; to leave him. That was the night he’d sent me to Juvi… that night I punched the living shit out of him. That was the night of the apocalypse. 

I started waking up, but this time the darkness was gone. I saw everything foggy at first, but after a while - everything became clear. I could see my friends standing over me, looking down. I knew that look in their eyes. That deep sadness, thinking that I’d turned. 

My breathing was raspy and my tongue felt like sandpaper. I tried swallowing and forming a word, but all that came out was a low grunt. God… I even sounded like a walker. 

I looked over at Sasuke. The look on his face… left me scared. He thought what they all did… 

That I’d died and come back as one of  _ them _ . 

“Sasuke… you knew that this was going to happen eventually. I’m so sorry, but this is where your little experiment ends. It needs to happen now.” Kakashi spoke, this time more sternly than ever before. Almost as if he was trying to take charge of the situation. 

“You touch her; I kill you. You fucking hear me!? I’ll kill you all!” Naruto and Sai tried restraining him… tried keeping him at bay. But he broke free with little effort. 

“Do it already, Kakashi!” Naruto yelled, grabbing ahold of Sasuke. Sai also had trouble keeping him down.  _ My raven _ . It had been a long time since I’d thought of him as “the raven”. But that’s what I wanted to remember him as. 

Kakashi raised his gun, pointing at my head. I gathered all the strength I had left. 

“Wait…” My whisper was low, yet loud enough for them to hear. They all froze. 

Kakashi swallowed. “What?” I swallowed again, pushing further. 

“I… told you to… to wait… you idiot.” 


	14. Frozen

Frozen. As if you’re glued to the floor. Your brain is solid ice, forcing everything else to stop moving. Time… body… mind… thoughts - they’re all halted. You don’t even seem to breathe or blink, everything standing perfectly still. You don’t know whether to break the silence or remain in the void. 

That’s the only way to describe this moment - frozen. Like a movie, paused at the perfect moment. I could feel all eyes on me, but no one dared to move a muscle. They were all too shocked to do anything but stare. I was the center of attention. Though I guess I can’t blame them. 

To them -  I had risen from the dead. 

I let my gaze fixate upon the one man that made living worthwhile. Sasuke was looking back at me; completely still. Naruto and Sai slowly broke the halcyon, letting their grasps on the raven loosen. Eventually, he was completely free. 

There must have been a million thoughts running through his mind. 

Was I really alive? How could I be? Was I going to turn somehow, out of the blue? Was this too good to be true? 

In that moment, Ino came walking through the door; eyes red and filled to the brim with tears. 

“A-are you…” She paused, eyes meeting mine. “Done yet?” She finished without even realizing it. Emerald met sapphire, both in complete awe. She seemed frozen too. Like an ice sculpture. Then she bolted; straight out the door, probably to tell the others about the miracle. I summoned some momentum, swinging myself into a seated position. Without any kind of warning, Sasuke pounced; knocking me into his chest. 

I coughed. “S-Sasuke… you’re suffocating me.” I felt my shoulder dampen with tears. He hugged me tightly, weeping harder than a child. He didn’t let go for a good long while - couldn’t most likely. So I let him hold on while I busied myself by stroking his hair. 

“Thank God… thank God you’re not dead.” This time, Sasuke didn’t yell at Kakashi for taking the Lord’s name in vain. No… this time, it was justified. The older mentor kneeled beside us, embracing us both with a lamenting howl. Naruto soon followed. Even Sai joined in. Hinata came by some time later to witness the marvel for herself. 

Soon they broke away from me, giving me some much needed breathing space. 

“H-how? I don’t understand. How are you alive?” I smiled at my man, placing a gentle palm on his wet cheek. I withdrew the sleeve of my shirt, showing the bites. 

“I’m… I’m immune. I got bit once before. I would have told you, but something totally knocked me out before I could speak.” Sasuke made a gesture with his head, indicating that it had been Naruto. I just smiled at the dorky blond, who in turn gave a gentle smirk back. 

“You’re a real miracle, you know that?” Sasuke finally uttered. “How… how did it happen the first time?” 

“It happened some time ago. I was raiding a pharmacy, tripped an alarm and got jumped by a lurker. I was convinced that I was going to die. But someone saved me. Gaara.” Naruto raised his head, puzzled look on his face. 

“Wait… not Gaara no Subaku? Red hair, no eyebrows, tattoo on his forehead? That Gaara?” I nodded vigorously. 

“Yeah, that’s the guy! You know him?” It went quiet… too quiet. All eyes turned from me and to Sasuke. 

His black eyes went dead, brows furrowed deeply. “Yeah… sort of. He was friends with my brother, Itachi. They were in the same regiment in the army. My brother looks a lot like me, or so I’ve been told.” 

Kakashi nodded. “That’s an understatement.” 

Sasuke brushed his comment off. “Yeah, well… we’re still really different. He has long hair, tied up in a ponytail. Mid thirties, same eye and haircolor as me. Goes by IU.” 

My eyes went wide in horror. I did know that alias… I’d heard it before - through the crack of a wall… 

_ “IU9261 reporting in. Mission complete. Agents heading back to base. House is burnt to a crisp. No survivors. Over.” _

_ “IU9261, permission to proceed. Over and out.”  _

_ “Ready to leave?”  _

_ “Not quite. There’s a shed over there. Looks undamaged enough. Might still be something salvageable in there.”  _

_ “You know what the orders are. Elimination only. We’ll return tomorrow with a salvage team to gather the loot. Once the fire’s been put out…”  _

_ “Fine… Man, watching the fear in the kid’s eyes as I set him on fire, priceless.” _

I was frozen still, afraid to move. Those memories still haunted me some nights. Those sick bastards… and one of them was my boyfriend’s long lost brother. It made me sick… but Sasuke seemed oblivious to Itachi’s operations. 

“Why?” I asked, my tone brisker and darker than usual. He eyed me with a puzzled expression. 

“He’s my brother. I  _ need  _ to find him. I need some… answers that only he can give.” I wasn’t going to tell him the truth, no matter how much he  _ deserved  _ it. It was better to leave it unsaid. Though… in retrospect, I realize that I should have said something. But I didn’t. 

“I might have heard Gaara mention it once or twice… can’t be sure. It does ring a bell though. He wasn’t with us when Gaara cared for me, that much I am sure of.” He looked disappointed. I convinced myself that this was for the best. There had been enough bad shit to last a few lifetimes over. Perhaps it was time for peace. 

I got up with Sasuke’s help, standing on wobbly feet. In that moment, Ino and Hinata hugged me tightly. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m alive… you don’t need to get all weepy and shit.” Ino looked me dead in the eye and then went back to holding me. While she could be a clingy little brat sometimes - she was still my friend. I returned the embrace. 

“How were we supposed to know that? You were bit, remember?” Naruto asked, standing with his hands resting on the back of his head. He smiled brighter than the sun. I let Ino go, giving Hinata a quick hug before ending that one as well. 

“You didn’t. Thank you… for not taking any chances. For thinking of the group.” Everything seemed fine, until in the next second; a loud bang echoed out, startling everybody. Naruto fell, face first, into the floor. “Next time, ask somebody what the fuck they want to do about the situation before you knock them out, you dobe.” 

Sasuke let out a small chuckle. 

“Ugly?” Sai called out. While I hated the nickname, I still turned to face him. “We’ll make some food for you. And while you’re at it, go wash up… you smell like the dead.” I gave him an ironic expression. 

“What did you expect? I’ve been bit. Besides, I’ve been out for-” I stopped realizing that I didn’t actually know how long I’d been out cold. “How long have I been… you know… out?” I asked carefully. 

“Just under a week.” Sasuke replied, holding onto me so I wouldn’t fall over. I was shocked to hear it, but not completely surprised. Although it had only been a few days last time, if what Gaara told me was true, I could totally believe that I’d been out longer this time. 

“Okay…” I said a little bit uncertain, wincing when his hand accidentally brushed over my wound. “I’m gonna go grab that wash up before we all eat.” He lead me towards our room, basically warding off anyone trying to get close to me. As we walked through the kitchen, the smell of food almost knocked me clean out again. I was so hungry, I could eat an entire elephant. The lights were on, which could only mean one thing - they’d gotten the electricity to work. 

The previous “shower” I’d had here had been cold and quick. All I had to my disposal had been a bucket full of river water. Maybe now, there would be warm water from the shower head instead of from the metal container. 

Alas, when I entered the bathroom, I was a little bit disappointed. Still a bucket standing atop a stool. I ushered Sasuke out, taking the time to inspect the damages from the time I’d spent unconscious. Just a couple more bruises to add to the count. Nothing serious though, so that was a plus. 

I was just about to get a quick look at myself in the mirror, when I saw it… the broken glass. I stepped to the side, fearing that there were shards on the floor, but sighed in relief when I saw that there were none. They must have been removed some time ago. In his rage, Sasuke must have completely destroyed it. 

I removed myself from the sink, walking naked towards the bucket. I stuck my hand in, waiting for the cold to shock me, but was pleasantly surprised. It had been heated and sterilized. They must have taken that trip to the pond while I’d been out… then again… they must have gotten a lot done during that time. 

My muscles were stiff and sore, making it impossible to stand. I took a seat on the stool, putting the pot on the floor. I decided to ask Sasuke for a backrub after we’d eaten. In the condition I was in, I don’t think he’d object. 

I stood, letting the water flow through my hair. I washed it quickly with some shampoo and brushed through it. I then grabbed the soap, lathering myself up. When I was done, I emptied the contents of the canister over my head, finishing my routine. 

As I was drying off, my mind started wandering. Just because Gaara had told me that he was immune, it didn’t magically mean that he’d survived. There were always complications… shit happens. People come and go. Maybe it hadn’t been a bite, but a bullet that had ended his life. I would never find out unless we went there ourselves. 

I’d just finished wrapping the towel around my body when Sasuke stomped in. I shrieked in surprise, but his expression never changed. 

“Dude!?” I yelled out. “How about you knock next time?” He chuckled, smiling quickly. In one hand rested an ointment for my wounds, and in the other some clean clothing. He kissed me chastely before exiting. 

Still surprised, I took the ointment and started rubbing it onto my sore spots. I dressed in a haste, thankful that Sasuke had dropped off some fresh clothes. I walked out, spotting him. He was leaning against the wall with a smile. It was strange, seeing him so happy, but I was glad. To know that I brought him so much happiness. We walked towards the kitchen, hand in hand, and sat down by the table. Ino instantly ran over with a full bowl of chili. I spared no ceremony, instead stuffing it into my mouth as fast as humanly possible. 

“Slow down, or you’re going to hurl.” I knew that Kakashi was right, but still. I couldn’t seem to slow down. When I was on my second bowl, I eventually did slow down; taking his advice. I savoured every last chunk, dipping some bread to soak up the remaining fluid. 

I looked up, finding everybody’s eyes on me. “What?” I spoke, mouth full of food. Naruto barked out a laugh. I blushed and swallowed. I wasn’t the most lady-like girl out there, but my friends didn’t seem to mind. Anytime someone ate with utensils was probably the most civil meal they had since this whole thing started. 

“We’ve made our plans. We’re going to look for Gaara.” I handed Hinata the bowl. “Can you show us on a map exactly where it was?” I nodded. Off the old highway, somewhere close to where I was bit. I pointed out an estimation. 

“Around here somewhere… I think. It’s going to take a few weeks to walk there.” Not to mention, I’d have to pass by the house where my stepfather had been staying in… where my sister was buried. I didn’t look forward to it one bit.  

“Good. If we can retrace your steps, we’ll be able to find it. We set out at eight A.M sharp.” From the corner, Naruto grunted in disapproval. He really wasn’t a morning person. We sat around for awhile, sipping on some poor excuse of tea, avoiding the barrage of questions. But alas… eventually - every river has to reach home. 

“We can’t dance around this any longer.” Kakashi stated. “So, let’s discuss your… condition.” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “Tell us everything you know about your state of immunity.” 

“You’re going to be disappointed.” I took a sip. “I know almost nothing. All I do know is that I can’t turn from a bite, and that walkers generally avoid me. At first, they act as if though I’m one of them… but then, once they realize that I’m not, they treat me like any other human being. Also… If I were to bite somebody hard enough to draw blood…” I trailed off, unsure of how to continue. With a hopeful gleam in my eyes, I met Sasuke’s gaze. 

“What happens if you do?” He asked. 

“Well… I’m a carrier. In some fucked up way I don’t understand, I carry the virus - without falling prey to it.” Kakashi nodded. As far as I could tell however; he seemed disappointed. As if though he’d expected more information. He was getting suspicious. And he was right to be. I knew more than I let on. 

For one… Gaara was just like me. 

But I knew that that wasn’t for me to share. So I remained silent. There were also many unanswered question that I knew he was going to ask. I wanted to have the answers - but I just didn’t. Were the more people like Gaara and I? What caused the immunity? Blood links? Types? I just didn’t know right now, so I hoped to avoid raising even more uncertainties. 

But it went against the newly instated rule number fourteen. Information is gold. Withholding this could potentially be harmful, but like I’ve stated before… this time; it was necessary.  

Kakashi smiled quickly. “Well, suppose we have to steer clear of your fangs from now on.” He spoke in a humorous tone, despite lacking the actual gusto behind it. People around us started chuckling, but why; I didn’t know. Nor did I want to. This wasn’t funny… this was just fucked up; on so many levels. But they just laughed it off. While I admired their ability to do so, I was getting enraged. I pushed it down and got up. I glanced towards the clock on the wall… ten at night. 

“Sorry, but I’m really tired. Permission to go to sleep?” Sasuke took charge again, nodding and stroking the small of my back. 

“Granted. Though… we have to keep you isolated one more night. Just in case you turn.” I nodded. I understood the necessity of the precautions they were taking. So I didn’t kick up any fuss. 

Instead, Sasuke helped me up the stairs, into another room. He handed me the key; something which stunned me. 

“In case of a fire or emergency, you have to be able to get out. But… don’t use it for any other reason. There’s a bathroom in there in case you need it. I’ll have Ino bring you some water in the morning, and some new clothes.” He lingered awkwardly, until he leaned down and kissed my cheek. He withdrew. “Well… ehm… goodnight then.” He was just about to leave when I grabbed his arm and pulled him back down for another kiss. This time, to catch his lips with mine. 

I leaned back, away from his face and looked him dead in the eye with a sweet smile on my lips. “I love you too, Sasuke.” I didn’t give him the opportunity to respond in anyway. Instead, I skipped into my new quarters, closing the door behind me closely. 

And then - bolted it. 

 

**OoOoOoOoO**

 

“Damnit… he’s already gone.” It had taken us three days to find the shack Gaara and I had been staying in. But it seems that he’d cleared out long ago. The amount of dust on the counters just fueled to my suspicions. 

He hadn’t been here for weeks. 

I guess, in the back of my mind, I already knew he wasn’t going to be. 

But that hope had been something to hang my hat upon. The memories came flooding back, overwhelming me. The food he’d cooked, the way he smiled - the days we’d spent in silence. Everything came crashing down.

There had to be something left… there just had to be. He wouldn’t just leave without informing me where he was heading next. I quickly rummaged through the room, flipping the mattress, scouring through drawers and cabinets and lastly - the table in the middle of the room. 

_ Nothing. _

“What are you looking for, Sakura?” I ignored Kakashi’s question and instead dragged my fingers on the underside of the wood. There it was… something taped to the underside. I quickly grabbed it, unfolding the paper. 

_ Sakura.  _

_ I’m sorry about everything that happened. I hope that you can find it within yourself to forgive me. If this letter ever finds you, then I would just like to say thank you.  _

_ You opened up my eyes to some things.  _

_ I’m not going to sit around here anymore. I’ve already packed my bags. If you return to the shack, and find this, I hope that this letter will serve as some kind of consolation to you. If you haven’t found your love yet, I’ll be there for you. I’m heading to Shadow Island. If things don’t turn out the way you want them to with your guy, I’ll be there - waiting.  _

_ Your friend, _

_ Gaara.  _

“He’s going to Shadow Island.” I handed Sasuke the letter. He skimmed through it, skipping certain parts. 

He eyed the top corner, noting the date. “This was written two days ago… he’ll reach it before us. We have to go there and warn him!” I cocked a brow. 

“Why?” I asked. 

“Do you remember what Neji told us? About the walkers in and around Shadow Island, dressed like soldiers? It’s infested by walkers. Even if Gaara makes it there-” Kakashi cut him off. 

“He’ll walk straight into a herd. That can’t be good.” Sasuke nodded. 

“Then it’s decided. We set out for Shadow Island, but first - we need to resupply and find somewhere to stay the night.” I wanted to avoid the place like the plague, but somehow I knew… if we didn’t go there - we might very well end up dead. 

So reluctantly I agreed. “I know just the place.” 

 


	15. For now, heavy rain

Greatness. We’re all capable of it, though not many utilize the tools in life to achieve it. Many never get the chance - while others spoil it. But one very important thing to differentiate between are these two;

Power and greatness. 

Just because you have power, it doesn’t magically mean that you’ve achieved greatness. No… in truth, grandeur can be as little as finding the love of your life. It can be something insignificant in the grand scheme of things; such as saving someone’s life. Or… it can be something so small as caring for someone. Asking about their day and actually fucking listen to the answer. After all - you haven’t really lived until you’ve helped somebody that can’t necessarily thank you. 

Somewhere down the line there’s a Cinderella story, just waiting to come true. 

I really don’t believe that Sasuke and I would have fallen in love, even less likely have met, had it not been for this apocalypse. 

He was living down on west avenue; I, on the other side of town on east boulevard. He was a soldier, fighting for his country. I was a snot nosed little brat, not even out of high school. He was dashing - I was of “hey-average-breast-size”, with the social interaction skills of a retarded llama. True, I could advocate for myself, but that was something that happened after Zombieland. 

But now - we were happy as can be… well… as happy as two people can be when there’s an entire world falling to pieces outside of our window. Our life wasn’t ideal, but what was ideal in a country where the dead were roaming the streets? You just make the best out of what you have. The egg is already broken - and we’ve made a pretty decent omelette out of it. 

It had been a four day journey to Clint’s old house, thanks to some minor complications I won’t mention *Cough* Naruto *Cough*.

“Hey boy, long time no see. You miss me?” I put the brush against the horse’s neck and started dusting away the dirt. He looked like he really needed it, all things considering. Both horses had survived, thank the Lord, but they were extremely filthy from spending weeks without any sort of care. I heard steps approaching. 

I didn’t even need to turn to know who it was. The six feet tall man was leaning against the doorframe of the garage with his charcoal eyes following my every move. 

I didn’t face him as I spoke. “Hello Kakashi… what can I do for you?” I asked politely, despite the bubbling anger. Ever since the “incident” a few days ago, I had a hard time even speaking to the man without my blood boiling over. 

“I just wanted to tell you that dinner will be ready soon.” I nodded curtly, desperately wishing for him to go away. I put the brush down, reaching for another to use on the horse’s mane. I was completely ignoring rule number fifteen, but right now… I couldn’t care less. Then again, it was there for a reason. And it was pretty simple. 

So without further ado - rule number fifteen; No fighting. Yes… self explanatory, and easy enough to follow. But right now, the hardest one to comply with. 

Kakashi was still lingering, annoying me beyond comparison. 

“Anything else?” I spat, way too angrily.   

“Need any help?” My grip tightened around the brush, almost snapping it. I took one deep breath before I turned to him, teeth gritted to the point of almost crushing my teeth under the pressure. 

“Does it look like my email address is at AOL dot com?” He just laughed it off, which of course; only fueled my anger further. He shook his head, ever so slightly, still chuckling. 

“No, but you’re certainly acting as if though you’re still a child. Your temper tantrums, your pouting, but most of all - your irresponsibility. I stand by what I said the other day.” I was so close to punching his stupid face in, but Sasuke interrupted just in the nick of time. 

“Kakashi, group one is eating. You better head inside.” The white haired man said nothing, just left. I was still shaking in anger when Sasuke stood beside me, reaching into the container to grab a brush of his own. He walked over towards the other horse and started cleaning her off. 

We stayed silent for awhile, until something in me snapped. “If you’re going to suggest that I apologize to him, you can forget it. I’m in no mood to apologize to anyone right now.” Sasuke shook his head. 

“No… I don’t expect you to, and frankly; I don’t think that that will change anything at this point. It’s better to just leave it to cool down for a while. When you’re ready - he’ll be there waiting.” I nodded in response, finding his answer acceptable. I knew that Sasuke was right… this moment was not one for forgiving. 

I stopped my motions and eyed Sasuke. Straight into his raven orbs. The raven. The one he truly was. You could almost say that that was his alter ego. Underneath all of that hard armor he clad himself in; lay a beautiful bird just waiting to soar. He stopped as well, and tilted his head slightly. 

“What’s the matter, Princess? Cat got your tongue?” I shook my head and resumed my work, slightly flustered. But after few minutes, I realized that his eyes had never left me. So I looked back. And this time, the question that I desperately wanted to ask just seemed to slip out. 

“Do you think that two people are just meant to be together?” He stopped looking at me and let his raven eyes wander to the window. Thinking long and hard about his answer, until he turned back. 

“Well… we found each other, didn’t we?” I smiled. I wrapped my arms around neck and locked my lips with him. We broke apart and I playfully swatted his arm.  

“You're so cheesy, anyone ever tell you that?” He replied with a snort. 

“People have called me many things over the years… cheesy; not one of them. I’m the least cheesy person you’ll ever meet. I’m practically… ham?” He said with uncertainty. I barked out a laugh at his poor joke, but was surprised when it was genuine. We stood for quite some time before I finished my work and we walked out; hand in hand, towards the house. Luckily, Kakashi was on watch; surveying the walls. Good… one less confrontation today. My tummy started to rumble, out of nowhere, something which Sasuke noticed. 

He flung me over his shoulder, carrying me up the few steps of the main entrance. 

“Haha, Sasuke, let me go… Let me go, you big lug!” I yelled while laughing mercilessly. He kept running, imitating the sound of a car; albeit poorly. From atop the wall, Kakashi was looking down on us. But he wasn’t angry… no, the opposite really. He had a big smile on his face. 

Sasuke put me down, kissing my temple. “Ladies first.” He gestured to the door. 

“Why, thank you, good sir.” I jokingly replied. I hadn’t goofed around like this since long before Clint had started drinking. I never realized just how much of my childhood I’d missed out on, thanks to that fucker. 

Sasuke opened the door for me to step through. The hallway was by no means impressive, but it was secure. With a security system many could only dream of. In the hall stood a washer, a dryer and a basket for clothes. In one of the counters, Yamato had installed a homemade sink. We washed our hands in it before we went into the kitchen to dine. On the stove stood some stew, puttering away. I grabbed us both a plate, setting it down on the table. I gave Ino a smile and we both took a seat. 

She smiled back and went into the living room to tell group two that it was their time to dine. Even though I couldn’t see them - I just knew that they were sprawled out on couches, taking a break from the hard work of running a farm. From the other room, I could Naruto grunt in disapproval. 

“I’m not hungry… I just want to sleep.” And the prize for the most surprising sentence ever, goes to Naruto Uzumaki. Stranger still, considering that those two things were basically his life before all of this. Sure, he’d been in the army, but when he was on leave; he rarely did other things. 

“Get your ass off the couch and into the kitchen!” Ino scolded. “It’s the only food you’re getting today, and you have the nightshift. I don’t want to get woken up in the middle of the night again just to feed you. God, it’s like I have a newborn!” She yelled out in frustration. 

“Do not take the Lord’s name in-” Sasuke started, but was cut short by Ino entering the kitchen again. 

“-in vain. Sorry, Sasuke.” Ino sat down next to a newly awoken Sai, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and Naruto on her right. “Who else has the nightshift?” 

I raised my hand, swallowing the food I had in my mouth before speaking. “I do.” She raised a brow. 

“Why are you up this early then? Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping still?” I shrugged. “Saki… could I ask you for a favor?” 

“Sure, Ino. What do you want?” 

“I’m supposed to have two hours of that shift as well, but I’ve been up all morning; cooking. Since you’re up, can you take those two extra hours so that I can get some sleep?” I nodded and chewed. 

“Yeah… could do. If you take my cleaning shift.” The cleaning shift consisted of one of two tasks. Either wash clothes, or gun maintenance. Unluckily for me, I’d gotten the clothes part of the shift; something that I loathed. 

Ino smiled warmly at me. “Sure.” We finished the meal, only occasionally chiming in with something resembling small talk. I grabbed my plate, my spoon and my glass and put them in the sink before bolting up the stairs. Usually, I preferred the night shift, but with things being what they were between Kakashi and I… well… let’s just say, I really didn’t feel like spending the entire night on watch with him. But I was going to have to suck it up, despite the anger. Besides… we didn’t really interact anyways. While on watch, you kept a lookout around the walls, making sure that nothing got through. I started undressing, changing my clothes into a clean pair, when Sasuke walked in. He stood behind me, placing gentle kisses on my bare back. 

“Not now, Sasuke. I’m too dirty for his.” He smiled against my skin and put his arms around my waist rather possessively. He kept on pecking me, until I swatted at him. 

“I don’t care. I just want to hold you.” He grabbed me, pulling me back harder. I laughed. Yeah… I really was in love. Young, stupid and in love. The only problem? - the obvious age difference. When he’d joined the army, I’d been a scared, sniveling little twelve year old. My mind wandered back to what had happened back then… what Clint had done to make me into the person I was. Suddenly, I could no longer enjoy the kisses. 

_ “So, Mister and Missus Haruno… Why do you think that Sakura felt the need to starve herself?” The doctor looked at them with a disappointed glare. Had it not been for Clint not putting food on the table, we wouldn’t be in this situation.  _

_ “It’s Mister and Missus Osouli.” Clint said in a hard tone. Just to let people know that my mother was his property, branded with his name. He cleared his throat, softening his demeanor. “In all honesty, I have no idea. Girls these days do anything to look like models. Starving themselves and whatnot.” It wasn’t true, not one bit… but I didn’t dare speak up in fear of the consequences. The doctor scribbled something on the clipboard she was holding, sceptic look plastered all over her face.  _

_ “I noticed a few distinctive scars on Sakura’s back.” Clint looked over at me with fake compassion. And for a moment, it looked as if though he was sincere. But ultimately, I knew that it was as fake as a fifteen dollar bill.  _

_ “Sakura, have you been hurting yourself? Darling, why?” He embraced me, something which scared me a little. I didn’t know how to react. The doctor shook her head.  _

_ “No. It’s not from self harm. It looks as if though someone has been abusing her.” Clint got awfully defensive, picking a fight with the doctor. My mother looked over at me, fear in her eyes clear as day. So, to save her from hurt, I lied.  _

_ Made up a bogus story of how it had happened in school. Of how they’d hit me with their fists and other sharp objects - all the while calling me fat.  _

_ They’d brought me home that day, and at night I’d gotten a brutal beating from my “gatekeeper”. He told me that I wasn’t allowed to see my friends anymore. The second school was out, I was to return home. More hours spent away from freedom…  _

_ I remember going to sleep that night, wishing that I would never have to get up in the morning. That I would slip into sweet oblivion, completely unaware that I was dying.  _

My mind had only wandered for a few seconds, but when I came to - Sasuke was already on top of me. He’d somehow lead me to the bed. His hands were on my breasts, fondling them passionately while kissing my neck. 

I put my hands against his chest and pushed him off. He looked both scared and surprised. 

“Saki… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… I just got carried away.” I shook my head and smiled at him. I wasn’t scared or angry. 

“It’s okay. No need to get all sentimental. I’m just not ready. Not today.” He nodded and kissed my lips one last time. “Alright, old man… that’s all the action you’re getting today.” We both chuckled. 

“I get it. And I really am sorry… you just didn’t say anything when I asked if we could… you know.” He paused, blushing a little bit. Sasuke cleared his throat. “Sorry… I shouldn’t have assumed that silence meant yes.” I ruffled his hair, threw my arms around his neck and kissed his temple hard. 

“It’s okay. One day, I’ll be ready.” He turned his head, smiling brightly while staring at my lips. 

“And I’ll be here.” Despite the age difference, I still felt as if this relationship had a fighting chance. For me, it no longer mattered that he was six years my senior. Besides - people have had bigger gaps between them. 

But there was still another small issue to deal with. 

I grew flushed. “Sasuke… I know that this is a really awkward thing to ask, but… ehm… what do we do about protection? Do you have condoms?” He shook his head. “Yeah… and I don’t have any pills. I don’t know about you, but I really wouldn’t feel comfortable bringing a child into this world. For one, there’s my age to consider. But there’s also the zombie aspect of things. What if-” He cut me off with a kiss. 

“We’ll figure it out as we go. Let’s just put this out of our minds at the moment.” I agreed. It was better to cross that bridge when we got there. I suddenly remembered the promise I’d made to Ino. 

“It’s almost seven.” Sasuke glanced up at the clock. “I have to get going. Besides; I really don’t want to get a scolding from the old man for being tardy.” He knew to whom I was referring. 

“Yeah. We don’t want that. Get going; I’ll see you tomorrow.” I nodded and finished what I’d come up here for. I changed into my oversized sweater, put my holster on and proceeded to walk through the door; ready for the night to begin. I sniffed my sweater, remembering Anna. How she’d borrow it from me, without asking. But I let her… because when I got it back - it always smelled like her. 

I put on my slightly worn out brown converse and walked up to the wall, a fresh sense of dread looming over my head. My brand new sniper was waiting for me as I climbed the ladder; sitting comfortably in its tripod. 

I lay down, looked through the scope for quite some time before sighing, giving up and positioning it somewhere else. I put it down so it was overlooking the lake to the west, watching the setting sun dance across the waters. 

A small “Goddamnit” brought me out of my daydreaming. I whipped my head around, seeing Kakashi walking over to an arm hanging onto the railing of the wall. Yeah… Goddamnit indeed. Luckily, the lurker seems to have been too rotten to hang on. With one quick pistol whip, it fell. 

“Shoot it.” Kakashi said. As if I hadn’t already thought of that, I muttered in my mind; completely to myself of course. I wasn’t about to start a fight. I squeezed the trigger of my handgun and the next second, a muffled “bang” rang out. Silencers were the bee’s knees. Kakashi nodded in approval and stalked off. But he stopped suddenly, and turned back. 

“I think that our little fight needs to stop. Fighting like this won’t change reality. Whatever we were arguing about back then… it’s not worth breaking up the entire group over. So get over it.” My eyes reached his with a deadly glare. 

“Get over it? You called me a child and got pissed over the fact that Sasuke loves me. Well, guess what? It ain’t gonna change. I love him and he loves me, and that’s that. You don’t get to decide what we feel!” He cleared his throat and averted his gaze. 

“Sakura… I was angry, but it sure as hell isn’t because you’re in love. I got angry because everything is just so bizarre. You’re too young to know what love is. And he’s too old for you.” 

My mind wandered, boiling over at the thought of that moment. 

_ “So… you’re saying that your stepfather’s house is fortified enough to stay in for the night.” I nodded. It had been that day; when we’d found Gaara’s letter. Sasuke had pocketed the paper, keeping it close to him.  _

_ “Yeah… it’s safe.”  _

_ “Alright then. We set out first thing in the morning.” I grabbed his arm and placed a kiss on his lips.  _

_ “I love you.” Kakashi just snorted, breaking the silence. I looked over with an angry look on my face. He just chuckled in his own annoying little way, fueling my anger.  _

_ “What’s so funny, old man?” I’d spat out. He crossed his arms; a very defensive gesture.  _

_ “Love? Are you serious, Sakura? You’ve been together for a few weeks and all of a sudden it’s love. You two don’t know squat about love. You’re too young for that. Sasuke; you ought to know better. She’s just a child.” My blood froze… then again… everybody froze. And for one second, I thought that just maybe; hell had frozen over too. Just a child?  _

_ “What the fuck are you insinuating?” Sasuke questioned, mimicking my facial expression of pure rage and hatred.  _

_ “Are you seriously too daft to get what I’m saying? This is borderline pedophilic. You were in the military, Sasuke. A soldier like you should be ashamed of themselves!” I didn’t even register that it had been I that had hit him, but the sting in my palm woke me up long enough to realize that it had been.  _

_ “That’s enough, Kakashi! Say what you will about me, but leave Sasuke out of it. Don’t you ever call him a pedophile again! We are in love. Don’t ever question that again, or I will personally castrate you, you sorry excuse of a man!”  _

_ On his cheek, a bright angry spot had formed. _

_ “Kakashi.” Naruto started. “Why the fuck would you call him that? It’s not true, and you know it! You’re just too old and bitter to know about love! Just because you’ve never felt it-” He was cut off by a hard punch to the stomach. And all hell broke loose after that.  _

When I spoke again, it was in a hushed tone, almost a whisper. 

“You know what? What you did that day; hurt Naruto and called Sasuke a pedophile… it’s really shitty. But I get it.” I paused, realizing only now why he’d acted that way. Why he’d doubted our love. “She must have been one hell of a woman. You never forgot what loving her was like, did you?” He looked away, not wanting to face me. He chuckled. 

“Rin… her name was Rin. And yes, she really was one hell of a woman.” His eyes started filling with tears. “She was the medic in my team. One day while we were driving right outside of the green zone… our truck was targeted by insurgents… she didn’t make it.” It became clear now. His inner sadness, the need to hide behind the mask… and random bouts of insomnia - the screams in the middle of the night. 

I let go of the anger. And so, I wrapped my slender arms around him. He hugged me back. 

He was my family, and family fought. He was like the father I never had. A concerned parent, disapproving of the child’s choice in partner. But eventually, he would see the love persist… and give in. And down came the rain. Instead of crying, he started to laugh. I looked up at him. 

“It’s just… when we were over there, in the war… me and Rin used to just… dream about the rain. We always snuck out at night to lay in the hot sand and look up at the stars, wishing for it to fall. We talked about our days and our lives. I just… when she died, I used to think that the rain was a signal from her. That she keeping a watchful eye over me. But… she’s gone now” He patted my shoulder. 

He cleared his throat again. “Listen, we have to get back to work. I don’t want this to be the reason a walker slips through the fence.” I smiled. The issue had been resolved. Nothing could ruin this moment… well… almost nothing. A few feet underneath to the right, walkers were approaching silently through the grass. I picked up my sniper and put a bullet through one of their heads. Kakashi and I took turns to pick them off. 

He put his weapon down and slapped my arm playfully. “Nice shot.” Pause. “About what I said… I’m sorry. Sasuke’s not really a pedophile and you’re not a stupid kid… well; I mean you can be stupid sometimes, but you’re not a kid anymore.” I returned his playful slap. He started to laugh. And so, we made peace. We played out our shift with laughter and glee. Because you never know - that it could all be gone in a moments notice. From dusk ‘til dawn, we walked through the heavy rain; heads held high. And for now… for now… everything was alright. 

For now… 

 


	16. Where art thou?

The journey… sometimes the journey is better than reaching your destination. Sometimes; the journey is the adventure. And sometimes, it’s just a hell that you want to put far behind you. Something that you never want to experience again because treading it - nearly killed you. But in the end… it might just be worth it. Because when you’ve been searching for something for so long, you don’t really care about the pain you’ve experienced to get there. 

The pain of being left behind, the pain of being bitten - the pain of losing people around you. Hell, even the pain of losing everything, is worth it in the end… or so I’ve always been lead to believe. 

Because sometimes, the pain is unbearable. And more often than not… it’s not worth what you’ve gained in turn. Something that can hurt far worse, is the not knowing part. And that’s what hurts the most. I was pretty sure that I was going to die that day. But let’s back up a little, to gain perspective - to get the full story. 

Our journey truly started the day I met Sasuke. And now, it was coming to an end. We were standing there, on the edge of Shadow Island; by the entrance of the bridge. In a toll booth to our left, two soldiers were eating their lunch, surprised to see us. And we were equally surprised. We’d expected the place to be filled to the brim with the dead, but instead - we’d found the living. 

One of them rose from their post and walked out - gun raised high. I suddenly felt the urge to run and hide; but I buried it deep within myself. It was important not to show fear in these situations, which was [coincidentally] rule number 16. Show no weakness. In a herd of people, the weakest ones always go first. And for a very simple reason… they were the easiest to pick off. So I held my head high, raising my hands in the air. 

“State your business!” The guard yelled. I pointed to our group. 

“We’re the traveling circus, what did you think?” I replied sarcastically. Sasuke stepped in before I could make an even bigger fool of myself. The guard aimed at his head with a dead serious look plastered on his face. “Listen, I’m not looking for trouble. My name is Sasuke Uchiha… We’re looking for somebody named Gaara. Is he-” The guard cut him off. 

“Did you just say that your name was Sasuke Uchiha?” With a shocked expression on his face, he answered. 

“Yeah… do I know you?” 

The guard ignored him, instead speaking into an earpiece; relaying the information.  _ This could not bode well _ . No one from our group spoke for awhile, instead listening to the man before us. He eventually nodded and told his partner to let us pass. 

He nodded curtly and pressed a button, opening up the huge gates. 

Sasuke grabbed my hand possessively, silently daring the guards to even so much as look at me the wrong way. The all averted their gaze. Much like omegas when it came to their alpha. 

We were lead towards the biggest house down the block, a beautiful brick villa with huge Victorian windows. Had it not been for the situation we were in, I would have applauded the architecture. 

But most frightening of all - the men’s stares as we were passing by. Guessing it had been a while since they’d seen a woman who didn’t have guts in her teeth and rotting body parts… then again… a desperate man might go for just about anything. 

I shook the thought out of my hand, turned around and gestured towards Sasuke holding my hand. Naruto and Sai raised some brows until I pointed towards Hinata and Ino. They suddenly fell in quickly, even the airheaded blond, and grabbed one woman each. And boy were Ino and Hinata appreciative . 

We stepped through the front door - and I spotted him instantly. The man of my nightmares… someone that I’d only seen once before, but one that I could never forget. Sasuke recognized him too. 

He gasped. “Itachi?” The man, Itachi, embraced his little brother in a warm hug. Sasuke returned it. 

“Wow… it’s been what? A year? How have you been?” I felt myself growing sicker and sicker. Right then and there, I wished that I’d told Sasuke about what kind of a man his brother really was - but I kept quiet. I was in no position to do anything right now.

_ It’s all my fault. _

I’d lead them straight into the jaws of the devil… and I couldn’t do anything about it. What was I even going to do? Scream? Tell the truth and risk execution? Silently slip away and leave my friends to die? No… 

Sasuke chuckled. “That it has. I’ve been good. How about you?” Itachi just shrugged. He eyed the group and locked eyes with me. 

“Who are these people?” The older Uchiha asked. “And most importantly, who is this wonderful flower?” Sasuke stepped in between us, signaling that I was taken. 

“This is my girlfriend; Sakura.” He side stepped his little brother, reaching out for my hand. He placed a sweet kiss on my knuckles. 

“Enchanté, Sakura. It’s so nice to see that my brother has found someone as beautiful as you.” He let me go, and I quickly wiped my hand off on my pants; very discreetly. He turned back to Sasuke. “And the rest?” 

“That’s Kakashi, Sai and Naruto. But you knew them already.” Itachi nodded. “That’s Yamato, from a different platoon. The girls - Ino and Hinata - were from Neji’s group.” He stiffened in posture, having heard the name before. I could have sworn, there was a ghost of recognition dancing across his features. 

“Speaking of that; has anyone named Gaara come by here recently?” Itachi was just about to respond when the sounds of steps caught my attention. I looked up; and my eyes widened. 

“Gaara.” His name tickled my lips as they fell off. I ran up the stairs, meeting him halfway. He buried me in a soul crushing hug. 

“I don’t believe it. You’re actually here. I thought I’d never see you again.” I let go of him, playfully swatting his arm. He looked down the staircase, spotting Sasuke. “Uchiha.” 

“Sabaku.” Sasuke replied icyly. “Let me get one thing straight. Sakura is  _ my  _ girlfriend. Try anything - and you won’t be able to eat solids, ever again. Are we clear?” He nodded hastily. Around the corner - yet another pair of feet dancing across the marble tiles. 

“Sakura?” I whipped my head up, eyes widening… but not in shock… rather a raging ball of pure hatred. There she was… Tenten. She made a motion, running towards me - expecting a hug. Instead, she was met with a rock hard fist, straight to her stupid little pampered face. A splatter of blood landed on the floor. In the background, Naruto and Ino were cheering me on. 

I fell to my knees in front of her, punching the ever loving crap out of her. I know - never kick someone who’s already on the floor. But this was Tenten; the bitch who had pushed me out of the car… who had left me behind. I’d waited so long for this moment. 

My beating was cut short when Sasuke dragged me backwards, hooking his arms underneath my armpits. He held me there until Tenten was dragged off; bloodied, beaten and a complete mess. 

Itachi smirked. “Damn… for such a small girl; you sure do throw one mean right hook. Shio!” A small man, in his mid forties, came running into the hall. “Tell Zetsu to have a look at Tenten… make sure she doesn’t die. And you can take care of my brother’s girlfriend over here.”  _ My brother’s girlfriend.  _ As if he’d already forgotten my name. Sasuke let go of me, giving me a chance to overlook my injuries. Not as bad as it could have been. Apart from the profuse bleeding coming from my cracked knuckles; nothing felt broken or splintered, but I couldn’t be sure. 

Some man walked straight up to me, ushering me forward. He was small to the stature; shorter than me by at least a foot. He looked old and worn out; probably from years on manual labor. 

As I strolled past Sasuke’s older brother, I leaned in and whispered in an ice cold chime that would freeze even a yeti. 

“The name is Sakura… Sakura Haruno. Remember that name - because I know what you did back at that farm. Remember it - because I’m gonna be the one to end your very existence, you miserable little twat.” He didn’t even so much as flinch. He probably thought that I wasn’t capable of such a heinous act. 

But there was one thing that I’d learned from Zombieland, it was this; 

There was nothing that could stop me from serving out justice. I wasn’t God, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to stand back and wait for judgement day. 

Pushing the thought out of my mind, I followed Shio into a poorly illuminated room. He pulled out a syringe, probably filled with some sort of sedative; intending to use it on me. Shio grabbed it, prepared to stick it into my vein, when I raised my hand to him. 

“If you go near me with that thing, I’ll have no choice but to kill you. And I will enjoy it.” The man swallowed, visible fear written all over his face. He put it down, deciding that I was worth fearing more than his sadistic leader. 

Instead, he lead me to a chair where I sat down and proceeded to sterilize my wounds with a cotton swab.

The pain felt like a thousand needles entering your bloodstream, setting icy fire to my veins. But being a child of abuse, I pushed the pain down; forcing myself to set it aside. When he was done, he wrapped my aching hand in some bandages.

As I was leaving, Shio stopped me with a hard tug on my arm. 

“Don’t trust him; no matter how nice he seems.” I raised my brow, expecting him to keep his mouth shut on these matters. 

“I know not to trust him…” I said in a hard tone. It was his time to raise his brows. 

“Then why are you with him?” He asked. I was confused. 

“What?” I realized of whom he was speaking. “Sasuke?”

“Of course… who else?” I remained silent, deciding not to start a fight; so soon after the first one had ended. It was better just to leave it be for the time being. I grabbed my things off the chair, walking out. I slammed the door shut and left with a huge frown. 

The stairs lead me down to the entrance, but instead of being greeted by a familiar face; I was met by a gruesome scene that would haunt me for years to come. Yamato in a pool of his own blood; eyes pried open and unblinking. I let out a startled shriek… and feared that the others might have met the same fate. 

I pushed back my tears, remembering to stay strong. But in the back of my mind was one thing.  

_ “Where the fuck are the others?” _


	17. Who do I let go?

War. The single biggest catastrophe caused by humanity. Why do people kill? Why do we have an indisputable need for violence and death? Why do we start armed conflicts? Perhaps it’s to get confirmation… to tell the rest of the world of our strength. Maybe we can be better than the other guy? Maybe if we exterminate our enemies, the problem will be solved? Right? 

Once upon a time, a  _ long  _ ass time ago, that might have been true. You know how scientist and anthropologists claim that cavemen conked each other over the head with a big badass club to get their point across. And how they then went back to doing whatever cavemen did. That’s the hobgoblin of little minds - consistency. 

To do the same thing over and over, expecting a different outcome. Because that’s what war is really about, right? You want something that the other guy has, but that person in turn has no intention of giving it up. Yeah… war never changes. 

We’ve already got enough weapons to wipe out the entire human race; ten times over. What makes people in peaceful countries believe that peace is always constant. From experience, the human race don’t possess that kind of self control not to use it. It’s not self control that kept them from using those weapons… it was careful and meticulous planning - waiting for the other dude to throw the first rock. And while I’d like to believe that we can change, evolution takes millions of years. 

Thousands of years ago… what did the world look like then? A starry sky and the sounds of the wilderness. No cars, planes, TV… nothing like that. But the modern era brought a lot of necessities those people from the past missed out on. 

Modern medicine, modern extravagance, a working militia, but most important - laws. Because if such a system still existed, Yamato wouldn’t be lying in front of feet in a pool of his own blood. I could hear the grunts; the pain… the fever had set in. 

The corpse rose, sniffed around and gave me a look that could only mean one thing. Hunger. It had taken less than half an hour for this to happen. 

I grabbed my gun, the one that never left my side, and aimed at his head. He just stood there, motionless, trying to make sense of the situation. Yamato had been a good man, and he didn’t deserve to be turned into one of those  _ things _ . 

Aim, fire… gone. The exsanguinated corpse fell to the floor with a loud thud. I sighed in sadness, finding it hard to keep the tears at bay. But right now I didn’t have time to mourn. I had to find the rest of the group. 

Because if Yamato had been killed, then what the hell had happened down here while I was getting cared for? I doubt that Sasuke would have joined his brother with his twisted ways, and left one of us to die. 

Then again. 

_ “Don’t trust him… no matter how nice he seems.”  _

Shio’s voice echoed through my head. The seed of doubt had been planted in my mind; a seed that was beginning to set roots. What if he was right? Sasuke was after all part of the military. A military that turned a blind eye to death. An unfortunate event they referred to it as. He’d been trained for war. 

No… I wasn’t going to spend time thinking about it any longer. They could be in danger at this very moment. I tiptoed past Yamato’s corpse, following a dark hallway. 

 

**OoOoOoOoO**

 

It didn’t take long for me to find where Itachi had taken them. Hearing Ino cry out for help tugged at my heartstrings. A plan begun forming in my mind. 

I knew, from the sound, that I must be at least a floor above them. And since Shio had probably been ordered to sedate me, no one would expect me to come sneaking through the halls. 

I was proven correct when I spotted my gang, tied up in a circle down a flight of stairs. It was an open area, with metal walkways close to the walls; a few feet above their very heads. This must be a warehouse of sorts. 

I had to think on my feet… I needed a diversion. Since the sound of gunfire would just alert them to my position, I was in dire need of a melee weapon. I decided to asses the situation before charging in. I crouched; making sure to remain out of view. Itachi was pacing back and forth, knuckles bloodied. 

“So… are you going to keep on being stubborn, or are you going to listen to my offer once again, Sasuke?” His eyes narrowed, shooting back daggers.

“Go fuck yourself!” He yelled. Chains somewhere were rustling and grunting was heard.  _ Walkers _ . Probably to use as leverage over Sasuke. I looked around for something, deciding that now was the time to act. There was a loose piece of rebar hanging from the wall. It would have to do for now. 

“Now, now, dear little brother. Why so angry? Don’t tell me that you’re getting a little on the side from these two?” He pointed to Hinata and Ino, who were cowering in fear. “So greedy. And the pink haired bitch too?” My blood was boiling in anger. I looked around, spotting four guards surrounding my group… but those were the only ones. 

How the hell did they survive this long? Leaving a corpse in the middle of the floor for just anyone to stumble upon. That’s when I realized it - they didn’t know that you turned no matter how you died. 

Itachi sighed in exasperation. “Look, Sasuke… you get to keep one of them. So let me explain the deal once more. The pink haired b- Sakura” He quickly corrected. “Or one of these two, get to remain here in our safekeeping. The only thing we need is manpower - and a couple of women to… encourage the men.” I gagged silently. These sick fucks. I quickly, without making a sound, changed my position. But what I hadn’t noticed were the rocks by my feet. One fell to the floor, making a clunking sound. All of the guards turned suddenly, following the source of the sound with their gaze. Luckily for me, Shio burst through the doors before they could spot what had fallen. 

“Why are you disturbing us?” Itachi yelled. Shio gulped a few times, uncertain of how to express the issue at hand. Eventually he spoke up. 

“I… I found the dead man’s body.” Itachi made a “so-what” gesture with his entire body. “He had a bullet hole in his head.” Sasuke’s older brother went pale white. 

“Where is Pinky?” He asked angrily. 

“She… s-she… she’s-” 

“Speak English, for fucks sake! Where. Is. The. Girl?” He yelled once more. 

“She’s gone.” Itachi burst into action, turning to his guards. 

“Lock the door and make sure to sweep the area! She doesn’t get to come here and ruin everything I worked hard for!” Sasuke looked around, searching through the shadows. His eyes met mine. I made a pleading look for him to stall Itachi. He nodded discreetly in conformation, averting his gaze. 

“Why?” Itachi snapped at the younger Uchiha. 

“Why what?” 

“Why would I take you up on your offer? Why do you think for a second that this is the kind of life I want? You’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing!” He paused. “You’re not the brother I once loved.” Itachi had enough, slamming his foot into the side of Sasuke’s face. I turned my face away in anger rather than fear. He was going to pay for that… with the most expensive type of currency - his life. 

“You know nothing, you insufferable little bastard! You don’t even deserve to call yourself an Uchiha! You’re not even supposed to be alive. If the condom hadn’t broken, then we wouldn’t be in this situation. Don’t you see? I was supposed to be the only Uchiha heir! And now I have a snot nosed little brat, who hung around me all the time as a kid!” Sasuke coughed, spitting out some blood. I changed my position once more, turning my gaze to the stairs where a guard had started treading. 

“Then why offer me this deal? Why not just kill me?” Itachi stopped the pacing he’d resumed, standing still in front of his brother. 

“Because of a sense of familial obligation. You were always the golden boy… and mom would be ashamed of me if I didn’t at least offer to let you stay alive.” He walked to and fro again. I looked around, deciding to deal with the guard. I stalked over, listening to the monster speak. “You should have just stayed with the military. And then you would have been dead the moment we set our feet inside the premise. And then we wouldn’t be in this shit situation!” He hit Sasuke square in the jaw. The time for waiting was over. 

I threw the rebar, as far away as I could and watched the guards go into high alert. One approached the discarded weapon, leaving me with a knife that I just remembered I had tucked into my boot. 

“Don’t worry, sir. It just fell from the platform above.” Itachi smiled wickedly. 

“By itself? I don’t think so. What the fuck are you waiting for? Go have a look!” Both guards hastily made their way up the stairs. 

“You take that side, I take this one.” I heard one of them whisper to the other. I used their stupidity to my advantage. For them to split up when a hunter was stalking the halls - the last mistake they’ll ever make. 

The smaller man made his way towards my side. I remained hidden. He walked past me, not knowing that I was lurking in the shadows. 

I quickly grabbed ahold of him from behind and took him in a chokehold. He quickly passed out. I lowered the deadweight until he was sound asleep on the floor. Now I only had the other one to worry about. The one that was currently surveying the area. Getting to him without being detected would prove quite the challenge - but I was confident that I could. I made quick work of him too, repeating my previous action. The man fell apart in my arms, and I lowered him as well. Downstairs, Ino was crying again. While heartbreaking, it did make a wonderful distraction. 

Itachi grabbed her jaw, thrusting it upwards. “You’re the Yamanaka bitch, right?” Her eyes widened in horror. “Inochi’s daughter.” He let go of her chin, instead playing with her soft golden locks. “Tell you what… if you give into my demands, I’ll make you my personal plaything. No one else would touch you.” Ino gagged, disgusted by his advances. When he was about to say something else, she spat him straight in his stupid face. He grabbed a knife, hidden under his coat, and put it to her throat. 

“I will enjoy killing you, dear. First, I’ll cut off your tits. That will keep you screaming for a long time, you pathetic little whore!” I couldn’t stand back any longer. This was exactly what I needed in the way of motivation. Out of the shadows I stepped with newfound sense of power. I grabbed the gun from the holster and shot the two remaining guards in the head, execution style. That way, Itachi would have no one to save him from me. When he heard the shots, he quickly bolted towards a big, red button. He slammed his fist into it, releasing the walkers. So out they walked, staggering right towards the group. If I shot at them, I wouldn’t have enough bullets to take down the deranged Uchiha brother. 

I hadn’t even registered that Itachi had disappeared until he reappeared behind me, knife high in hand; ready to strike. I quickly deflected it, stepping to the side, but fell handless into the floor instead. As my head hit the steel, stars started dancing behind my eyelids. Somehow I managed to avoid the next jab too. I rolled to the side and swiped his legs out from under him. It gave me enough time to get up and run towards one of the dead guards. I found a knife, strapped on the inside of the blond man’s coat. Sasuke had managed to get everybody up and running, but the walkers were breathing down their necks. 

“Sasuke!” I made a split second decision, unsure of the outcome and threw the knife downstairs. He quickly made a move towards it and grabbed it; hands still tied behind his back. With some effort, he managed to free Ino of the ropes - who in turn helped him. Once he was free, Sasuke walked around the room; tying theirs as well. I didn’t have time to cheer him on before Itachi came launching at me again. I flew to the side in an attempt to stay far away from his blade. That helped momentarily, but this little game we were playing wasn’t going to end well if I didn’t put a stop to it. I’m not the one for bringing a gun into a knife fight, but for my own survival… it wasn’t a hard choice to make. I aimed sloppily, hitting him in the shoulder; blood splattering all over the wall. He let out a yelp - clearly in a lot of pain. We both hid behind an individual pillar, standing back. 

If Sasuke and the others should have any chance to get away - I had to distract Itachi. 

“Why are you doing this? Killing aimlessly?” Itachi ducked out from his hiding spot and aimed for my head. He missed it by an inch which left me thanking every God I had ever heard of. His laugh was that of a man in pain. 

“It’s the way the world works. The survival of the fittest. These idiots wanted to let just anyone waltz in and call this place their home. They didn’t even bother herding out the weak. I couldn’t have that. Pein had to go… he was weak.” His mad ranting had ultimately lead to his downfall. 

I now stood behind him, gun to his head. “Call this retribution!” 

His bloody body fell to the floor, three bullets in his brain. And so the demon of Shadow Island was gone… forever. Never again would the world have to keep spinning with this monster still in it. After confirming that he was dead, I ran down the stairs to find walkers swarming around my people. More shots were fired and more walkers fell. I tossed some blades that I’d quickly gathered off the dead soldiers; and tossed them to the others. More swarmed through the door, firing bullets high and low.

As I reached them - three men lay dying on the floor. I didn’t have time to think, I just acted. 

Naruto quickly threw Sasuke over his shoulders and yelled and me to drag Kakashi out. Ino and Hinata were trying their best to carry Sai, but ended up dragging him instead. I kicked the door open - tasting the crisp air of freedom. 

But this wasn’t a cause for celebration… 

Kakashi felt heavy on my shoulders and my lungs felt as if though they were going to explode. I ignored the pain and pushed well past my limits. Naruto ran out to the door, into a garage. He threw Sasuke onto the backseat of the jeep, yelling at people to get in. I jumped.

“We can’t all fit in the car! Put Kakashi and Sai on the rear and I’ll patch them up. Ino, I need your help! Hurry up!” 

Even now, I don’t quite know how we managed to get out of there alive. It just passed in a blur. After Sasuke, Kakashi and Sai were loaded into the rear of the jeep, walkers stormed through the doors. As if though a miracle had been granted, Naruto found the keys and started the car. We were out of there within a few seconds. 

I barely had time to react before Sai lost his pulse. Kakashi and Sasuke were bleeding out. I was crying… Because I knew… With only two people to help care for the three injured ones… 

One of them wouldn’t make it. 


	18. One last time

_ Three months later. _

“Hey… it’s me again. It’s been awhile. I guess we’ve all just been so busy with, well… surviving.” His grave looked so peaceful. A peaceful resting place on the edge of Shadow Island. 

Slowly, a tear made its way down my face and landed on the grassy ground. “Well… I hope that you are fine wherever you are right now. I hope it’s somewhere sunny and nice. Then again, you never really liked the sun. So I hope you’re in London.” I laughed solemnly. 

“We’ve missed you so much. I wish that we could rewind and go back to that moment. To change the past so that you’re here again… with us.” I paused and let another tear fall. “I know that it can’t be undone… but I just wish you didn’t have to die… not like this!” 

I took a deep breath, trying to force my racing heart into submission. His face still haunted my memory. His eyes. Those raven eyes that stared into my very soul. 

I cleared my throat. 

“You’ve always seen me, haven’t you? For that person I am, and not for the facade I put up to protect myself… I always appreciated that.” I blinked and looked up at the sky. The sun was just about to set, which meant that walkers would soon be flooding the place. I looked back at the grave. 

“You know, we actually think that we’ve found a nice resting place. It’s far away, but… we’ll come visit you whenever we can. You really would have liked to be back there… at the house. Naruto looked over the walls and it seems that they’re impregnable. Not even one walker made it through.” 

Silence… then footsteps. I knew it wasn’t walkers, but I still felt the need to turn around. 

“Sakura, we need to leave before the sun sets.” He looked at the grace. “We should make sure to put up a sign.” I nodded. 

“How about a headstone… and engrave his name?” He looked down, nodding slowly. 

“Yeah… that sounds nice. He would have liked that.” 

We worked tirelessly for an hour, but the end result was worth it. Engraved onto the stone was his name. I rested my hand on it and then looked over to the group. 

“We have to go now.” Naruto said. 

I paid my final respect and returned to the car. 

I rode off, with a huge smile on my face. I would always remember him… 

_ Kakashi Hatake - a man that will walk amongst the heroes.  _

With the windows rolled down, I stuck my head out. The stars twinkled up above, painting the night sky with light. It wasn’t the last time that we visited, but at that moment - it felt like a final goodbye. Nothing was what it had once been. Everything was different. But for now, I closed my eyes and imagined that the world was well again. After all… hopes are all that you have in the end.

I looked back… 

Just one last time. 


End file.
